Ramy Bensebaini

The 28-year-old defender has been under contract with Borussia Dortmund since July 2023. He previously played for Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Ramy Bensebaini: An offensively strong defender

‘My job is to prevent goals,’ says Ramy Bensebaini. But that doesn't stop him from making his own mark in attacking play, conspicuously often against prominent opponents. He scored twelve of his 23 goals in the Bundesliga and DFB Cup against Munich (four), Dortmund, Frankfurt (three each) and Leipzig (two). He has also scored twice in the UEFA Champions League, including against Inter Milan, one of the 2023 finalists.

The decision in favour of Borussia Dortmund

After his one-time appearance in this special competition during his time at Gladbach (2019 to 2023), the Algerian international is looking forward to being a regular in the top flight with Borussia Dortmund. He signed a four-year contract with BVB shortly after the end of the 2022/23 season. ‘It's quite simple: because Dortmund is one of the biggest clubs in Germany and the world. I had a long chat with sporting director Sebastian Kehl. He presented the project very well,’ he said in an interview with BVB-TV.

Sporting director Sebastian Kehl's view on the signing

‘Ramy is a player in his prime, he has gained a lot of national and international experience in the Bundesliga, the French Ligue 1, the Champions League and the Europa League and is also an integral part of the selection in his home country. We are certain that his sporting development is not yet complete. In our discussions with him, we have seen an absolute determination to attack and compete for titles with Borussia Dortmund. We are very much looking forward to working with a professional who has a good balance between defensive and offensive play,’ explained sporting director Sebastian Kehl.

From youth to professional: Bensebaini's path

Bensebaini was born and grew up in the eastern Algerian city of Constantine. At the age of twelve, he transferred to the Paradou AC academy in the capital Algiers. There, great emphasis was placed on ball handling. ‘The most important thing for them was the first contact with the ball. They wanted you to control it perfectly and be able to pass it on properly,’ he explained in an interview with the portal Spox (September 2020). Unconventional methods by European standards were used to achieve this: the boys trained and played barefoot - and they played without a goalkeeper! ‘We were just eleven outfield players. The main aim was to train our collective defensive behaviour. We focussed on pressing, moving out correctly and going forward, because we were never allowed to let the opponent shoot. Otherwise the ball would have gone in straight away, as the goal was always empty.’

Lots of experience at a young age

At 19, he moved to Lierse SK in Belgium. This was followed by spells at SC Montpellier and Stade Rennes in France, where he won the 2019 cup final against Paris St Germain. Bensebaini also scored for Rennes in the penalty shoot-out. He had previously scored the decisive goal in the semi-final against Olympique Lyon. In January of the same year, he also won the Africa Cup with Algeria.

Career highlights and personal insights

In the summer of 2019, he moved to Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Bundesliga. He made his debut in the match against 1. FC Köln on 14/09/19. He went on to make 94 further appearances by May 2023, scoring a remarkable 19 goals. ‘I love to win and hate to lose,’ he says about his sporting ambitions; referring specifically to BVB, Bensebaini explained after signing his contract: ‘I don't need to say much about the charisma of Borussia Dortmund. As an opposing player myself, I felt the extraordinary atmosphere at Signal Iduna Park that pushes the team on. I know what BVB is capable of and I'm sure that we as a team will build on the last second half of the season. I can't wait to be part of BVB myself, to play for titles and to experience this special atmosphere in Dortmund.’ In his private life, the Algerian describes himself as someone who doesn't like going out and prefers to spend time at home.