| Romain Saïss Quick Info | |
|---|---|
| Height | 6 ft 2 in |
| Weight | 80 kg |
| Date of Birth | March 26, 1990 |
| Zodiac Sign | Aries |
| Spouse | Salma Rachid |
Romain Saïss is a Moroccan professional soccer player who has represented, as a defender, Olympique de Valence (2010-2011), Clermont Foot (2011-2013), Clermont Foot II (2012), Le Havre AC (2013-2015), and Angers SCO (2015-2016) in France; Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. (2016-2022) in England; and Beşiktaş J.K. (2022-Present) in Turkey. Clermont Foot II is the reserve team of Clermont Foot. For his performances in the 2015-16 season, Romain was named ‘Angers SCO Player of the Season’. With Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C., he won the EFL Championship (the second-highest tier overall in the English soccer league system, just behind the Premier League) in the 2017-18 season. The win meant that the club made a return to the Premier League after a 6-year absence. Born and raised in France, to a Moroccan father and a French mother, Romain was eligible to represent both France and Morocco at the international level. He eventually chose to represent Morocco and made his senior national debut in November 2012. After the 2019 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations (the biennial international men’s soccer championship of Africa), he was appointed the captain of the country’s senior national team. He was the captain of the Moroccan squad that created history by finishing in 4th place in the 2022 edition of the FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) World Cup.
Born Name
Romain Ghanem Paul Saïss
Nick Name
Moroccan Maldini
Sun Sign
Aries
Born Place
Bourg-de-Péage, Drôme, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
Residence
He splits his time between Morocco and France.
Nationality
Occupation
Professional Soccer Player
Family
- Father – Radouane Saïss (Restaurant Owner)
Shirt Number
- 6 – Morocco, Le Havre AC
- 26 – Clermont Foot, Beşiktaş J.K.
- 28 – Angers SCO
- 27 – Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Playing Position
Defender
Build
Athletic
Height
6 ft 2 in or 188 cm
Weight
80 kg or 176.5 lbs
Girlfriend / Spouse
Romain has dated –
- Salma Rachid (2016-Present) – Romain married Moroccan pop singer Salma Rachid in 2016. They have a son together named Yanis Alaoui (b. October 2019).
Race / Ethnicity
White
He is of Moroccan descent on his father’s side and French descent on his mother’s side.
Hair Color
Dark Brown
Eye Color
Green
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Toned physique
- Short-cropped hair
- Affable smile
- Sports a rugged beard
Religion
Islam
Brand Endorsements
He has been sponsored by Puma SE, a German multinational corporation that is the 3rd largest sportswear manufacturer in the world.
Romain Saïss Facts
- Romain began his senior career with Olympique de Valence (2010-2011), a club that was competing in the 5th tier of the French soccer league system at that time. He used to supplement his €500 monthly salary by working at his father’s restaurant.
- When he made his debut for the English club Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. in September 2016, he was subjected to racial abuse by one of his opponents named Jonjo Shelvey. The FA (Football Association), the governing body for soccer in England, after investigating the incident, handed Jonjo a 5-match ban and £100,000 fine, in December 2016.
- Romain was a key member of the Moroccan squad that reached the quarter-final of the 2017 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations. He scored the first goal of his senior-level international career for Morocco during this tournament, in his team’s 3-1 group stage win over Togo.
- In December 2021, he scored the only goal in Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.‘s 1-0 away win over Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. in a Premier League (the top tier of the English professional soccer league system) match. This was the club’s first win at Brighton in the top flight in 7 attempts dating back to 1979. After the match, the team’s head coach described Romain as the ‘Moroccan Maldini’, referring to the legendary Italian defender Paolo Maldini.
- At the 2022 edition of the FIFA World Cup, Romain scored the 1st goal (in the 73rd minute) in Morocco’s shock 2-0 win over European heavyweights Belgium in the teams’ 2nd match of the group stage. It was just the 2nd goal of his senior-level international career for Morocco.
- This was Morocco’s first win in a FIFA World Cup match since 1998 and played a vital role in helping the country progress to the pre-quarterfinal stage of the tournament for just the 2nd time in history – the first and only other such occasion was in 1986.
- In the pre-quarterfinal match of the tournament, Morocco upset 2010 champions Spain on penalties, winning the shootout by a 3-0 margin. The victory meant that the country had qualified for the quarter-final stage of the FIFA World Cup for the first time in history. Morocco then defeated Portugal in the quarter-final to become the first African nation ever to reach the semi-final stage of the FIFA World Cup. Their fairytale journey was halted in the semi-final stage by defending champions France who beat them by a 2-0 margin.
- In a strange coincidence, Morocco and its 2 victims in the knockout stages of the 2022 FIFA World Cup (Spain and Portugal) were all part of the same group (Group B) in the previous (2018) edition of the tournament. On that occasion, Spain and Portugal had advanced to the knockout stage while Morocco ended up in the last spot in the group with just 1 point to their name. That solitary point was achieved in the last match of the group stage when Morocco held Spain to a 2-2 draw. Romain was a part of that match as well.
Featured Image by Romain Saïss / Instagram
