Larbi Ben Mbarek |
|
Collection title
The champions' trilogy
First broadcast date
09/11/2007
Abstract
A documentary devoted to the legendary Larbi Ben Mbarek who started his career as a football player in Casablanca before joining the French “Club Olympic de Marseille” in 1938, and a few years later, the club Atletico Madrid. With his talent, he became indispensable for French national team, during his fifteen-year career under the tricolor flag ( Morocco being a protectorate).
Audiovisual form
Documentary
Primary theme
Sport and games
Secondary themes
- Contemporary historical challenges 19th-20th c.
Map locations
- Morocco - Atlantic coast - Casablanca
Context
Larbi Ben Barek
Stéphane Mourlane
Larbi Ben Barek is one of the greatest players of Moroccan and French football: his talent and technical mastery made an enormous and lasting impact. Highly praised by the French press, he was also subjected to revealing remarks about colonialism between 1930 to 1950.
Ben Barek was born in Casablanca at some point between 1914 and 1917, the exact date being unknown. He began playing football in neighbourhood tournaments. While he was a carpenter he played for a modest club, Ouatan Football, moving in 1934 to the Idéal Club Marocain, a second division team. His qualities were quickly noticed by US Morocaine, three times North African champions since 1930. In 1936 the amateur club got him a job off the pitch as a garage attendant. The following year, he was recruited by Olympique de Marseille which was playing in the new professional football league, set up in 1932.At the time the Marseillaise club was using the network of merchants based in the port, trading constantly with North Africa, to bring over players from both the European and indigenous populations. Ben Barek, who arrived in Marseille in May 1938 (having already raised his fee), was the best of the players recruited in this way. In 1939, he was vice-champion of France and had played for France four times. From the first, his playing stood out in a difficult political context: France was facing Italy, twice world champions, in a Naples stadium overflowing with the nationalist fervour encouraged by the fascist regime. Only a few months after the publication of the "Racial Manifesto", which marked Mussolini’s adoption of racist politics, Ben Barek had to face a storm of racist abuse from the Neapolitan public. In France, the press raved about him. In 1939, the major sports newspaper L'Auto asked its readers to choose a nickname for the Casablanca player. They chose "black pearl". For even though Ben Barek was open about being Muslim, the press thought of him as being from black Africa. So, the commentaries, as much as the caricatures, were based on the colonial prejudices and racist stereotypes of the time, for example highlighting his "natural" and “feline” qualities, although off the pitch he behaved, they claimed, like "a big kid”.
During the war he returned to Morocco - not having French nationality, he was not called-up – going back to US Morocaine. Once peace returned, he signed up with Stade français which, under the French-Argentine coach Hellenio Herrera, was trying to breathe new life into one of the oldest French clubs. The results were disappointing, however. Larbi Ben Barek decided to follow his coach to Athletico Madrid. The French press was split over this transfer, at a time when French players leaving to play abroad was not common. Some people saw the move as rightful recognition of his talent, while others accused him of being more interested in cash than his country. The question of Ben Barek’s nationality is implicit, especially since after that he no longer got any favours from the coach of the French team, Gaston Barreau. He won two Spanish league titles (1950 and 1951) with the Colchoneros. But towards the end of his career, between 1953 and 1955, he returned to Marseilles, where the public had not forgotten him. In 1954 he was selected one last time to play in the national team against Germany, though the conditions were somewhat strange. In fact he was recalled because of the pressure of public opinion after a match between France and a North African selection to help victims of the devastating earthquake in the region Orléansville in Algeria in September 1954. Ben Barek would have liked to play for France but at nearly 40 was considered too old, so he captained the North African team. They beat France easily (3 goals to 1) at the Parc des Princes, in October 1954. He continued playing in Algeria for Union Sportive musulmane Bel-Abbes and then in Belgium.
Considered one of the greatest football players in history, Ben Barek spent his whole career torn between his national identity (Moroccan) and his sporting identity (French). He died in 1992, alone, in complete contrast to the place he holds for football fans on both sides of the Mediterranean.
Bibliography:
Moroccan athletes in the world. Histories and current issues. Act of the international conference in Casablanca, 24-25 July 2010, Paris-Casablanca-Seguier The Crossroads, 2011, 203 p.
Claude Boli, "Larbi Ben Barek: the first North African star of French football," Migrance, No. 29, 2008, p. 13-19.
Yvan Gastaut, Claude Boli, Grognet Fabrizio (ed.), Allez France! Sculptures and Paris, Gallimard, CNHI-National Sports Museum, 2010, 191 p.
Mourlane Stéphane, "OM, a club in the colors of North African immigrants in Marseille?"Migrance, No. 29, 2008, p. 117-121.
Yvan Gastaut, "France and North Africa", http://www.wearefootball.org/un-jour-un-match/2/lire/france-afrique-du-nord/
Faouzi Mahjoub, "Ben Barek, the Black Pearl", http://www.om4ever.com/ListeJoueurs/TopBenBarek.htm
