Achraf Lazaar

Achraf Lazaar

Personal information
Date of birth	(1992-01-22) January 22, 1992
Place of birth	Casablanca, Morocco
Height
Position(s)	Left back, Left winger
Team information
Current team	Palermo
Number	7
Youth career
	Raja Casablanca
2009–2012	Varese
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2012–2014	Varese	37	(0)
2014–	Palermo	73	(3)
International career‡
2014–	Morocco	14	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17 May 2016 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 7 June 2014

Achraf Lazaar (Arabic: أشرف لزعر‎‎; born 22 January 1992) is a Moroccan football defender currently playing for Palermo.

Club career

Born in Casablanca, he moved in Italy with his parents in 2003. He joined Varese's youth system at the age of fifteen, and made his senior debut with the team in the Serie B league in 2012, immediately emerging as one of the most interesting prospects from the small Lombardian team.

In January 2014, he was signed by Serie B toppers Palermo, on loan with an option to make the move permanent by the end of the season, as an understudy to more experienced Fabio Daprelà, but immediately gained a starting spot thanks to his impressive performances. He was successively permanently signed by Palermo and confirmed as part of the club's 2014-15 roster.

International career

Lazaar was eligible to play for Morocco, and unable to play for Italy as he was not an Italian citizen yet, despite having being raised there, due to law-related issues. He had originally never stated a clear preference for Morocco or Italy, instead declaring he would choose for the first international team who shows a true interest in calling him up.

His impressive Serie B performances with Palermo then won him interest from the Moroccan national team, who called him up for a friendly match against Mozambique, played on 23 May 2014 and ended in a 4-0 win, during which he made his first senior international appearance.