Given the doom and gloom that has gripped Manchester City in the past few days, it may have escaped some people’s attention that they have been brilliant this season. Champions-in-waiting, no less, and what is for sure is that Sergio Agüero, David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne and Leroy Sané will not be forgotten in a hurry given the scintillating football they have served up on a near weekly basis since August.
Some will remember Pep Guardiola’s class of 2017-18 for ever, and especially around Eastlands, where debates have no doubt been raging for some time about just how many of the squad would get into an all-time City XI. As is often the case, it comes down to age. Younger fans would happily select a team made up predominantly of modern-day superstars while those of an older vintage are sure to insist places are found for Tony Book, Dennis Tueart and Colin Bell. City fans in their 30s would almost certainly plead the case for Georgi Kinkladze, the club’s shining light during the dark days of the 1990s.
Then there is the man who followed in Kinklazde’s footsteps and, like the Georgian, captured the imagination with his beguiling talent. He was the key member of a City side who also won a title with stylish efficiency but whose contribution is relatively unknown outside of east Manchester, largely because the title in question was the old First Division, and his stay in England was so brief.
But those who watched him play and played alongside him testify to his ability and impact. Stuart Pearce describes him as “absolutely sensational” while Shaun Goater calls him “phenomenal”. He is possibly the best City player most people never saw perform for City – or did but cannot remember doing so – and his name is Ali Benarbia.
Born in Oran, Algeria, in October 1968, Benarbia moved to France aged two and it was there that he made his name as a gifted playmaker. He won Ligue 1 titles with Monaco and Bordeaux as well as captaining PSG to the second group stage of the 2000‑01 Champions League. Benarbia was also named France’s footballer of the year in 1999, so it came as a surprise to many when he agreed to join a club in England’s second tier two years later.
Benarbia’s desire to join City was based partly on his childhood adoration of Kevin Keegan, who had been appointed manager following their relegation from the Premier League in May 2001 and was looking to build a team with the experience and talent to achieve promotion at the first time of asking. Pearce and Eyal Berkovic were among Keegan’s signings before the 2001-02 campaign and then, on 12 September, came the 32-year-old Benarbia on a free.
“Legend has it that Benarbia was destined for Sunderland but stopped off at Maine Road because he shared the same agent as Alioune Touré, who Keegan was also signing,” says the writer and City supporter Simon Curtis. “He signed for City after being treated to a plate of salmon by the Platt Lane chef.”
Keegan confirmed the salmon story shortly after Benarbia made his debut in a 3-0 home victory against Birmingham on 15 September. The Algerian put in a stunning display, assisting two of City’s goals and tormenting Trevor Francis’s side until he was substituted on 74 minutes. As he departed, Benarbia received a standing ovation from the Maine Road crowd, most of whom would have been unaware he had only landed in Manchester at 11.15 that morning. Off the plane and straight into their hearts.
Assured in possession, well balanced and resilient, Benarbia became the creative fulcrum of Keegan’s promotion-chasing side, seen vividly in a 6-2 victory at Sheffield Wednesday in late September. He ran the game, scoring City’s first goal before playing a role in most of their others, with his contribution including a perfectly weighted cross that Paolo Wanchope converted via a close-range header.
City stormed to the title, finishing with 99 points and racking up 108 goals in their 46 fixtures, and while others played their part – most notably Berkovic and Goater – Benarbia was the undoubted star turn.
Not surprisingly, Benarbia was voted City’s player of the 2001‑02 season and there was much anticipation at Maine Road about what he might do in the Premier League. Ultimately the midfielder was a subdued presence in the top flight, yet he still provided some eye‑catching moments – among them an unstoppable curling finish against Tottenham in December 2002 – as Keegan’s men secured a ninth-place finish.
Aged 34 and with 78 appearances in just under two years, Benarbia called time on his City career in 2003. Fittingly, his last appearance came in a friendly against Barcelona that doubled as the inauguration of what is now known as the Etihad Stadium. Benarbia could be seen as a bridge between old and new City – the man who inspired the club’s return to the Premier League, where they have not only remained but grown into a European superpower deploying a brand of football that Benarbia himself encapsulated.
“He had the skills and vision that would have fitted effortlessly into the present set-up,” Curtis says. “A real gem and one of the most beautiful technicians we’ve ever seen at City.”
