Christian Karembeu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Christian Karembeu

Karembeu in 2017
Personal information
Full name	Christian Lali Kake Karembeu
Date of birth	(1970-12-03) 3 December 1970 (age 54)
Place of birth	Lifou, New Caledonia, France
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team	Olympiacos (sports director)
Youth career
	Gaïtcha
1988–1990	Nantes
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1990–1995	Nantes	130	(5)
1995–1997	Sampdoria	62	(6)
1997–2000	Real Madrid	51	(1)
2000–2001	Middlesbrough	33	(4)
2001–2004	Olympiacos	68	(3)
2004–2005	Servette	23	(2)
2005–2006	Bastia	7	(0)
Total		395	(18)
International career
1992–2002	France	53	(1)
Medal record Men's football Representing  France FIFA World Cup Winner 1998 UEFA European Championship Winner 2000 FIFA Confederations Cup Winner 2001
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Christian Lali Kake Karembeu (born 3 December 1970) is a French former professional footballer. He played as a defensive midfielder. Today, he works as the sporting director for Olympiacos.

Karembeu played for several famous clubs. These include Nantes, Sampdoria, Real Madrid, and Olympiacos. He also played for the French national team. He was a key player when France won the 1998 FIFA World Cup at home. He also helped France win the UEFA Euro 2000 championship.

Early Life and Football Start

Christian Karembeu was born in Lifou, New Caledonia. This is a French territory in the Pacific Islands. He started playing youth football for a team called Gaïtcha FCN.

When he was 17, he moved to France. He received a scholarship to study and play football. FC Nantes signed him as a young player. He became a professional player with them in 1990.

Club Football Journey

Christian Karembeu played for many clubs during his career. He started with Nantes from 1990 to 1995. Then he moved to Sampdoria (1995–1997).

Winning with Real Madrid

From 1997 to 2000, Karembeu played for Real Madrid. This was a very successful time for him. He won the UEFA Champions League twice. He won it in 1998 and again in 2000. He started in the 1998 final.

Later Club Teams

After Real Madrid, he played for Middlesbrough (2000–2001). Then he joined Olympiacos (2001–2004). He also played for Servette (2004–2005) and Bastia (2005–2006). He announced his retirement from professional football on 13 October 2006.

Playing for France

Since he was born in a French territory, Christian Karembeu could play for France. He played 53 matches for his country. His first match was on 14 November 1992 against Finland.

World Cup Champion

Karembeu was a big part of the French team that won the 1998 FIFA World Cup. This was a huge victory for France. He played in four matches during the tournament. He even started in the quarter-final, semi-final, and the final match.

European Champion

He was also on the French team that won the Euro 2000. This showed France's strength in football during that time.

How He Played

Christian Karembeu was known as a "complete midfielder." He was strong and had a lot of energy. He was good at passing the ball and dribbling. He could also tackle hard to win the ball back.

He usually played in a defensive role in the middle of the field. But he could also play in other positions. He was sometimes a "box-to-box" midfielder, meaning he helped both defense and attack. He could even play as a right-back.

Life After Football

After retiring, Karembeu stayed involved in football. In 2005, he helped with the draw for the 2006 Football World Cup in Germany.

In May 2006, he became a scout for Portsmouth Football Club in England. A scout helps find new talented players. In 2009, he joined Arsenal's scouting team.

In June 2013, Karembeu took on an administrative role at the Greek club Olympiacos. He works there as a sports director.

Working for Peace

Christian Karembeu is a member of the 'Champions for Peace' club. This group includes 54 famous athletes. They use sport to help promote peace around the world. The group was created by Peace and Sport, an organization based in Monaco.

Karembeu is very active with Peace and Sport. For example, in August 2010, he visited Haiti. He went there to see how sport could help the country rebuild after a disaster. He met with sports coaches and young people in survivor camps.

Personal Life

Christian Karembeu was married to Slovak model Adriana Sklenařiková. They met on an airplane. They later divorced in December 2012.

In May 2017, Karembeu married Jackie Chamoun, a skier from Lebanon. They had a wedding ceremony in Greece and then in Lebanon. Their daughter was born on 27 September 2017.

After winning the 1998 World Cup, he received a special honor. He was made a Knight of the Legion of Honour in France.

Television Appearances

Karembeu has also worked in television. He hosted a French TV series called Des Îles et des Hommes (Of Islands and Men). This travel show visited beautiful islands around the world. He also joined the ITV broadcast team for Euro 2016.

Honours and Awards

Christian Karembeu has won many awards and titles throughout his career.

Nantes

• Division 1: 1994–95

Real Madrid

• UEFA Champions League: 1997–98, 1999–2000

Olympiacos

• Alpha Ethniki: 2001–02, 2002–03

France

• FIFA World Cup: 1998
• UEFA European Championship: 2000
• FIFA Confederations Cup: 2001

Individual Awards

• Oceania Footballer of the Year: 1995, 1998
• Olympiacos Golden Eleven

Special Recognition

• Knight of the Legion of Honour: 1998

See also

In Spanish: Christian Karembeu para niños