Théo Chendri (born 27 May 1997) is a French footballer who currently plays as a midfielder for Zamora.

Théo Chendri
Chendri with Barcelona
Personal information
Date of birth (1997-05-27) 27 May 1997 (age 27)
Place of birth Toulouse, France[1]
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)[2]
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
Zamora
Youth career
2003–2010 Et. Aussonnaise
2010–2012 US Colomiers
2012–2015 Barcelona
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015–2016 Barcelona B 1 (0)
2016–2019 Nantes B 39 (3)
2019–2020 Fremad Amager 25 (1)
2021–2022 Formentera 43 (1)
2022 Badajoz 13 (0)
2023– Zamora 0 (0)
International career
2013–2014 France U17 7 (0)
2014–2015 France U18 8 (1)
2015 France U19 5 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

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Born in Toulouse, Chendri started his career with Etoile Aussonnaise and US Colomiers, before trialling with Spanish side Barcelona in 2011.[1][3] A year later, he made the move to La Masia, becoming the first Frenchman to join the prestigious academy.[4][5][6] This deal was investigated by international body FIFA, who handed Barcelona a transfer ban, and banned Chendri from playing until he was sixteen - a decision Barcelona unsuccessfully appealed.[7][8][9] Following this verdict, Chendri's mother gave an interview with Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia, stating that FIFA's decision was doing more harm to the young footballers concerned than the clubs who had breached the rules.[10]

At the age of eighteen, he was promoted to the Barcelona B team, and made one appearance in the 2015–16 Segunda División B.[6][11] In 2016, then-sporting director of Barcelona, Robert Fernández, asked Chendri, whose contract was set to expire, to try and convince Ousmane Dembélé to sign for La Blaugrana, but this plan failed as Dembélé joined German side Borussia Dortmund.[12]

Chendri left Barcelona in 2016, after four years with the club.[13] In July of the same year, he returned to France and signed a three-year deal with Nantes, being assigned to the reserve team in the Championnat de France Amateur.[14][15][16] A year after joining Nantes, he stated his frustration in an interview with Au Premier Poteau, stating that Nantes had "sold him a bit of a dream" in terms of his progression with the club, as he had been assigned to the reserve side again.[17]

In early 2019, he moved to Denmark to sign with second tier side Fremad Amager.[18][19] Having initially settled well, his contract was terminated by mutual consent after a year and a half with the club.[20][21]

Following his departure from Fremad Amager, he returned to Spain, joining Tercera División side Formentera in January 2021.[22] He signed a one-year contract extension in July of the same year.[23] A year later, he signed with Badajoz in the Primera Federación, alongside fellow former Barcelona B player Jesús Alfaro.[24] However, after only half a year with Badajoz, he was released in December 2022.[25]

Following his release from Badajoz, he joined Segunda Federación side Zamora on 26 January 2023.[26]

International career

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Chendri is eligible to represent both France and Algeria at international level.[2][27] He has represented France from under-17 to under-19 level.[1]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of 4 January 2023[11]
Club Season League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Barcelona B 2015–16 Segunda División B 1 0 0 0 1 0
Nantes B 2016–17 CFA 8 0 0 0 8 0
2017–18 Championnat National 3 20 2 0 0 20 2
2018–19 Championnat National 2 11 1 0 0 11 1
Total 39 3 0 0 0 0 39 3
Fremad Amager 2018–19 Danish 1st Division 10 1 0 0 0 0 10 1
2019–20 15 0 3[a] 0 0 0 18 0
Total 25 1 3 0 0 0 28 1
Formentera 2020–21 Tercera División 14 0 0 0 0 0 14 0
2021–22 Segunda División RFEF 29 1 0 0 0 0 29 1
Total 43 1 0 0 0 0 43 1
Badajoz 2022–23 Primera Federación 13 0 0 0 0 0 13 0
Zamora 2022–23 Segunda Federación 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Career total 121 5 3 0 0 0 124 5
Notes
  1. ^ Appearances in the Danish Cup

References

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  1. ^ a b c Théo Chendri at the French Football Federation (in French)
  2. ^ a b Théo Chendri at WorldFootball.net
  3. ^ "Théo Chendri, ¿un francés en la Masia?" [Théo Chendri, a Frenchman at La Masia?]. sport.es (in Spanish). 6 June 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  4. ^ "Colomiers. Au Barça, le Columérin Théo Chendri joue avec Neymar" [Colomiers. At Barça, Columérin Théo Chendri plays with Neymar]. ladepeche.fr (in French). 28 December 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  5. ^ "Théo Chendri, la pépite française du Barça" [Théo Chendri, the French nugget of Barça]. leparisien.fr (in French). 29 September 2014. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Première convocation pour le Français Théo Chendri avec le Barça B" [First call for Frenchman Théo Chendri with Barça B]. lequipe.fr (in French). 23 October 2015. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  7. ^ Gea, Albert (2 April 2014). "FIFA Punishes FC Barcelona For Alleged 'Illegal Deals'". businessinsider.in. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  8. ^ Artús, José Luis (11 June 2013). "Theo Chendri, vuelve la perla francesa" [Theo Chendri, the French pearl returns]. mundodeportivo.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  9. ^ "Barcelona apela caso del francés Theo Chendri, un niño de 15 años" [Barcelona appeals the case of Frenchman Theo Chendri, a 15-year-old boy]. nacion.com (in Spanish). 27 February 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  10. ^ Luque, Xavier G. (5 April 2014). "Habla la madre de uno de los niños de la Masia afectado por la norma de la FIFA" [The mother of one of the Masia children affected by the FIFA regulation speaks]. lavanguardia.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  11. ^ a b Théo Chendri at Soccerway
  12. ^ Gil, Jordi (16 June 2017). "Robert Fernandez's strange method to try and sign Ousmane Dembele". sport.es. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  13. ^ "Pour Théo Chendri, l'enfant prodige de Colomiers, le Barça c'est fini..." [For Théo Chendri, the child prodigy of Colomiers, Barça is over …]. ladepeche.fr (in French). 7 June 2016. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  14. ^ Phelippeau, David (4 July 2016). "FC Nantes: Théo Chendri, considéré comme un prodige à 15 ans, arrive à la Jonelière" [FC Nantes: Théo Chendri, considered a prodigy at 15, arrives at Jonelière]. 20minutes.fr (in French). Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  15. ^ "FC Nantes. Le club s'offre Théo Chendri, l'espoir du Barça" [FC Nantes. The club offers Théo Chendri, the hope of Barça]. ouest-france.fr (in French). 4 July 2016. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  16. ^ Perez, Julien (4 July 2016). "FC Nantes - Mercato : Qui est Theo Chendri, le nouveau renfort Des Canaris?" [FC Nantes - Mercato: Who is Theo Chendri, the new reinforcement of The Canaries?]. butfootballclub.fr (in French). Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  17. ^ Bouchacourt, Jérome (17 August 2017). "Théo Chendri : " Nantes m'a vendu un peu de rêve ! "" [Théo Chendri: “Nantes sold me a bit of a dream! »]. footamateur.fr (in French). Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  18. ^ "Markant transfer: Fremad Amager henter tidligere Barcelona-talent" [Significant transfer: Fremad Amager brings in former Barcelona talent]. tipsbladet.dk (in Danish). 31 January 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  19. ^ "Théo Chendri quitte Nantes pour la D2 danoise" [Théo Chendri leaves Nantes for the Danish D2]. lequipe.fr (in French). 2 February 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  20. ^ Borup, Anders (29 September 2019). "Fremad Amager-profil: Spiller altid for at vinde" [Forward Amager profile: Always plays to win]. bold.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  21. ^ Roesen, Andreas (6 October 2020). "Fremad Amager ophæver med franskmand" [Forward Amager cancels with Frenchman]. bold.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  22. ^ "La SD Formentera es reforça amb el migcampista gal Théo Chendri" [SD Formentera is strengthened with the French midfielder Théo Chendri]. radioillaformentera.cat (in Catalan). 11 January 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  23. ^ "Théo Chendri es queda un any més" [Théo Chendri stays for one more year]. radioillaformentera.cat (in Catalan). 1 July 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  24. ^ Rodriguez, Marco A. (14 July 2022). "Alfaro y Chendri se unen a un Badajoz en el que Jové presenta este viernes a su equipo" [Alfaro and Chendri join a Badajoz in which Jové presents his team this Friday]. hoy.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  25. ^ Rubio, Álex (20 December 2022). "Théo Chendri, primera baja en el CD Badajoz" [Théo Chendri, first casualty at CD Badajoz]. golsmedia.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  26. ^ Cotón, Patricia (26 January 2023). "Théo Chendri, nuevo jugador del Zamora CF" [Théo Chendri, new Zamora CF player]. zamoracf.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  27. ^ Benarbia, Yassine (7 June 2016). "FC Barcelone : Théo Chendri non conservé" [FC Barcelona: Théo Chendri not kept]. lagazettedufennec.com (in French). Retrieved 4 January 2023.
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