later joined the FC Sochaux-Montbéliard training centre three years later. He is Muslim and observes fasting during the Islamic month of Ramadan he speaks Arabic, French, German, Italian, English and Spanish. Club career Yahia began playing football for the Racing Club de Belfort youth team before joining the Sochaux youth academy at the age of fourteen. However, in 2000, at the age of eighteen Yahia wanted to sign a professional contract, but his wish was denied by the then Sochaux leaders. He decided to leave Sochaux opting to join Internazionale's youth academy. Bastia Yahia started his professional career when he was loaned out by Internazionale in 2001 to Corsican side SC Bastia. He made his senior debut on 16 January 2002 against Olympique Lyon, replacing Cédric Uras in the 43rd minute. After four successful years on Corsica, Yahia was transferred to OGC Nice. Nice Yahia signed a four-year contract in the summer of 2005 with OGC Nice after the relegation of SC Bastia. In the first season he played most of the games but at the end he became a substitute. So he decided to move on to another club. VfL Bochum In 2007 English club Leeds United and German side VfL Bochum were interested in Yahia. He did some training exercises at both clubs and both wanted to buy him. Yahia decided to move to the club from the Bundesliga. On 30 January 2007, he played his first Bundesliga match for VfL Bochum against Bayern Munich In a short period he became an important player at the club and had a safe place in the central defense. When the loan contract was expired VfL Bochum signed Yahia for €800,000. He agreed a contract until 2011 with the club and earned on 4 January 2010 the Algerian Player of the Year 2009 award. In January 2010 in Luanda, Angola, Yahia was presented the award of Arab player of the Year 2009 after winning a poll created by the Arab television channel MBC. One million people participated in the poll, Yahia gained the majority of the votes with 48%. When VfL Bochum were relegated at the end of the 2009–10 season, Yahia revealed that he would like to leave the club during the summer transfer window, following the World Cup declaring "Indeed, I have decided to leave Bochum" as "I can't play at a lower level". He mentioned that he was