Andreas Christensen facts for kids
Christensen with Chelsea in 2018
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Andreas Bødtker Christensen | ||
| Date of birth | 10 April 1996 | ||
| Place of birth | Lillerød, Denmark | ||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Centre-back | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Barcelona | ||
| Number | 15 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2000–2006 | Skjold Birkerød | ||
| 2006–2012 | Brøndby | ||
| 2012–2014 | Chelsea | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2014–2022 | Chelsea | 93 | (2) |
| 2015–2017 | → Borussia Mönchengladbach (loan) | 62 | (5) |
| 2022– | Barcelona | 58 | (3) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2011–2012 | Denmark U16 | 2 | (0) |
| 2011–2012 | Denmark U17 | 18 | (5) |
| 2013 | Denmark U19 | 2 | (0) |
| 2013–2015 | Denmark U21 | 21 | (1) |
| 2015– | Denmark | 74 | (3) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:50, 25 May 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 29 June 2024 |
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Andreas Bødtker Christensen is a professional footballer from Denmark. He was born on April 10, 1996. He plays as a centre-back for the Spanish club Barcelona and for the Denmark national team.
Christensen started his football journey at Skjold Birkerød and then moved to Brøndby. He joined Chelsea when he was 15 years old in 2012. He made his first professional appearance for Chelsea in October 2014.
After playing for German club Borussia Mönchengladbach on loan for two years, he returned to Chelsea in 2017. With Chelsea, he helped the team win important trophies like the FA Cup, the UEFA Europa League, and the UEFA Champions League. In 2022, he joined Barcelona and won the La Liga title in his first season there.
Andreas Christensen also plays for his country, Denmark. He made his debut for the senior national team in June 2015. He has represented Denmark in major tournaments such as the 2018 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2020, the 2022 World Cup, and Euro 2024.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting with Chelsea
Early Days and First Steps
Andreas Christensen was born in Lillerød, Denmark. His father, Sten Christensen, was also a goalkeeper for Brøndby. Andreas began playing football at Skjold Birkerød and then joined Brøndby. He spent eight years at Brøndby, which made big clubs like Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Bayern Munich notice him.
On February 7, 2012, Christensen signed with Chelsea. He chose Chelsea because he liked their style of play.
He was first part of Chelsea's senior team for their last game of the 2012–13 season in May 2013. He didn't play in that match, but he signed a professional contract later.
Making His Professional Debut
Christensen made his first professional appearance on October 28, 2014. He played as a right-back in a League Cup match where Chelsea won 2–1 against Shrewsbury Town. He also played in an FA Cup match in January 2015.
Even though he didn't play much, Chelsea won the League Cup that season. The manager, José Mourinho, praised Christensen for his contributions to the team.
On May 24, 2015, Christensen made his Premier League debut against Sunderland. Chelsea won that game 3–1. Even with only one league appearance, he received a replica medal for his part in the team's success.
Loan Spell at Borussia Mönchengladbach (2015–2017)
On July 10, 2015, Christensen moved to Borussia Mönchengladbach in Germany on a two-year loan from Chelsea. He played his first game for them on August 10 in a cup match, which they won 4–1. Five days later, he made his Bundesliga debut.
He scored his first professional goals on February 5, 2016, scoring twice in a 5–1 win against Werder Bremen. After his first season, he was voted the team's Player of the Season. Borussia Mönchengladbach tried to buy him permanently, but Chelsea did not agree.
In the 2016–17 UEFA Europa League, Christensen scored a goal against Fiorentina that helped his team win. He also scored against Schalke in the next round.
Returning to Chelsea (2017–2022)
Christensen returned to Chelsea in August 2017 after his loan. He made his first appearance back with the team on August 12. Eight days later, he started his first Premier League game in a 2–1 win against Tottenham Hotspur.
On January 9, 2018, Christensen signed a new contract with Chelsea until 2022. He became a regular player in the first team. He played 40 games for Chelsea in the 2017–18 season, helping them win the FA Cup. He also received the club's Young Player of the Year award.
On May 29, 2021, Christensen came on as a substitute in the 2021 UEFA Champions League Final. Chelsea won 1–0 against Manchester City, and Christensen won his first UEFA Champions League title. On October 20, 2021, he scored his first goal for Chelsea in a 4–0 win against Malmö FF in the Champions League group stage.
Joining Barcelona (2022–Present)
On July 4, 2022, Christensen joined the Spanish club Barcelona on a free transfer. He signed a four-year contract. He made his debut on August 13 in a 0–0 draw against Rayo Vallecano.
As the season went on, he played more often and formed a strong defensive partnership with Ronald Araújo. They helped Barcelona achieve many clean sheets (games without letting the other team score). He was named Danish Football Player of the Year for 2023. He won the La Liga title and the Supercopa de España with Barcelona.
Later, his coach Xavi moved Christensen to play as a defensive midfielder. This change helped Barcelona improve their performance, leading to important wins in the Champions League and against rivals Atlético Madrid.
On April 10, 2024, he scored his first Champions League goal for Barcelona. He came off the bench and scored in a 3–2 away win against Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-final first leg.
International Career for Denmark
On June 8, 2015, Christensen played his first senior international game for Denmark. It was a friendly match against Montenegro, which Denmark won 2–1. On March 24, 2016, he started his first game for Denmark against Iceland.
Christensen played six matches in Denmark's successful journey to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. On November 14, 2017, he scored his first goal for Denmark in a 5–1 win against the Republic of Ireland. He played as a central defender in the World Cup, but sometimes also in defensive midfield.
Andreas Christensen was a very important player for Denmark during their great UEFA Euro 2020 campaign, playing in all six games. On June 21, 2021, he scored a powerful long-range goal against Russia in a 4–1 win. This goal helped Denmark move forward in the tournament. Denmark reached the semi-finals but lost to England 2–1 after extra time.
In November 2022, Christensen was chosen for Denmark's squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He started all three of Denmark's matches in Qatar. He scored a goal in the 2–1 loss to France in their second group game.
At UEFA Euro 2024, Christensen again started in all of Denmark's matches. Denmark was knocked out by the host nation, Germany, in the round of 16.
Playing Style
Christensen is known for being a calm and precise player when he has the ball. He is also good at passing and winning aerial challenges. In 2018, his Chelsea manager, Antonio Conte, said that Christensen showed "great maturity." Conte believed he would be a key player for Chelsea for many years and could even become the team's captain in the future. Fans sometimes call him the 'Danish Maldini', comparing him to the famous Italian defender Paolo Maldini.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Chelsea | 2014–15 | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | |
| 2017–18 | Premier League | 27 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 0 | |
| 2018–19 | Premier League | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 0 | |
| 2019–20 | Premier League | 21 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 0 | |
| 2020–21 | Premier League | 17 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | 27 | 0 | ||
| 2021–22 | Premier League | 19 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 34 | 2 | |
| Total | 93 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 40 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 161 | 2 | ||
| Borussia Mönchengladbach (loan) | 2015–16 | Bundesliga | 31 | 3 | 3 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | — | 39 | 3 | ||
| 2016–17 | Bundesliga | 31 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | 9 | 2 | — | 43 | 4 | |||
| Total | 62 | 5 | 6 | 0 | — | 14 | 2 | — | 82 | 7 | ||||
| Barcelona | 2022–23 | La Liga | 23 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 32 | 1 | |
| 2023–24 | La Liga | 30 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 42 | 3 | ||
| 2024–25 | La Liga | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||
| Total | 58 | 3 | 5 | 0 | — | 13 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 80 | 4 | |||
| Career total | 213 | 8 | 25 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 67 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 323 | 13 | ||
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denmark | 2015 | 2 | 0 |
| 2016 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2018 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 17 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 5 | 0 | |
| Total | 74 | 3 | |
- Denmark's score listed first, score column indicates score after each Christensen goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 November 2017 | Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland | 14 |  Republic of Ireland |
1–1 | 5–1 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 2 | 21 June 2021 | Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark | 44 |  Russia |
3–1 | 4–1 | UEFA Euro 2020 | |
| 3 | 26 November 2022 | Stadium 974, Doha, Qatar | 60 |  France |
1–1 | 1–2 | 2022 FIFA World Cup |
Honours and Awards
Andreas Christensen has won several important trophies and individual awards throughout his career:
Chelsea Youth
- FA Youth Cup: 2013–14
- UEFA Youth League: 2014–15
Chelsea
- FA Cup: 2017–18; runner-up: 2019–20, 2020–21
- UEFA Champions League: 2020–21
- UEFA Europa League: 2018–19
- UEFA Super Cup: 2021
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2021
- EFL Cup runner-up: 2018–19
Barcelona
- La Liga: 2022–23, 2024–25
- Copa del Rey: 2024–25
- Supercopa de España: 2023, 2025
Individual Awards
- Danish Talent of the Year: 2015
- Borussia Mönchengladbach Player of the Year: 2015–16
- Chelsea Young Player of the Year: 2017–18
- Danish Football Player of the Year by TV2 and DBU: 2023
- Danish Football Player of the Year: 2023
See also
In Spanish: Andreas Christensen para niños
