BORDEAUX, France (AP) — Former France international Hatem ben Arfa signed as a free agent with French club Bordeaux on Wednesday.
The 33-year-old attacking midfielder will once again try to relaunch his career following a short-lived stint in the Spanish league with Real Valladolid, where he played just five matches last season.
Bordeaux did not reveal the terms of the contract. According to French media, Ben Arfa signed a one-year deal.
This is Ben Arfa's ninth club after stints at Lyon, Newcastle, Hull, Marseille, Nice, Paris Saint-Germain and Rennes.
Once regarded as France’s most gifted player, Ben Arfa did not live up to the huge expectations he raised with his exceptional technical skills when he played with Lyon, the club where he was nurtured.
A member of “Generation 87,” a group of promising players born in 1987 that included Karim Benzema and Samir Nasri, Ben Arfa struggled after he left Lyon in 2008. Following two seasons in Marseille, he joined Newcastle, where a hard tackle from Manchester City midfielder Nigel De Jong left him with a leg broken in two places. He was sidelined for almost a year.
After bouncing back with Nice, Ben Arfa was signed by PSG but was sidelined during his final year in Paris because of disputes with club officials.
Bordeaux currently sits in ninth place in the French league standings.
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