Christian Wilhelmsson facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Christian Ulf Wilhelmsson | ||
| Date of birth | 8 December 1979 | ||
| Place of birth | Malmö, Sweden | ||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Winger | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1988–1997 | Mjällby AIF | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1997–1999 | Mjällby AIF | 52 | (11) |
| 2000–2003 | Stabæk | 84 | (25) |
| 2003–2006 | Anderlecht | 90 | (13) |
| 2006–2008 | Nantes | 13 | (0) |
| 2007 | → Roma (loan) | 19 | (1) |
| 2007–2008 | → Bolton Wanderers (loan) | 8 | (0) |
| 2008 | → Deportivo La Coruña (loan) | 15 | (1) |
| 2008–2012 | Al-Hilal | 69 | (24) |
| 2011–2012 | → Al Ahli (loan) | 11 | (0) |
| 2012 | LA Galaxy | 5 | (1) |
| 2013–2014 | Baniyas | 8 | (3) |
| 2014 | Mjällby AIF | 12 | (5) |
| 2015 | Mjällby AIF | 3 | (1) |
| 2018 | Torsby IF | 1 | (1) |
| Total | 390 | (86) | |
| International career | |||
| 2000–2001 | Sweden U21 | 16 | (2) |
| 2001–2012 | Sweden | 79 | (9) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Christian Ulf Wilhelmsson, often called "Chippen," is a former professional footballer from Sweden. He was born on December 8, 1979. He played as a winger, which is a player who runs along the sides of the field.
Chippen started his career in 1997 with Mjällby AIF in Sweden. He then played for many clubs in different countries. These included Norway, Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, England, Saudi Arabia, the United States, and Qatar. He officially retired from football in 2015, playing his last games for Mjällby.
Wilhelmsson also played for the Swedish national team 79 times between 2001 and 2012. He represented his country in major tournaments like the 2006 FIFA World Cup and the Euro tournaments in 2004, 2008, and 2012.
Contents
Chippen's Club Journey
Starting Out and Playing in Belgium
Christian Wilhelmsson was born in Malmö, Sweden. He began his football journey with Mjällby AIF in 1997. He played for this club for three seasons in the Swedish second division. After that, he spent three years playing in Norway for Stabæk Fotball.
In the summer of 2003, Wilhelmsson moved to R.S.C. Anderlecht in Belgium. He quickly became a key player for the team. During his time there, he scored nine goals in the top division. He also helped Anderlecht win the Belgian league title twice, in 2004 and 2006.
Time in France and Loans
In 2006, Wilhelmsson joined the French team FC Nantes, which played in Ligue 1.
Loan to Roma
On January 10, 2007, he moved to A.S. Roma in Italy on a temporary loan deal. Roma had the option to buy him permanently later. He played his first game in Italy's top league, Serie A, on January 14. After the season, Roma decided not to buy him. Wilhelmsson went back to Nantes. Nantes had been relegated, meaning they moved down to a lower league. So, he started looking for a new club right away.
Loan to Bolton Wanderers
There was a lot of talk about him joining different clubs in England or Scotland. Eventually, he signed a 12-month loan deal with Bolton Wanderers in England. He played 13 games for Bolton, often coming on as a substitute. He also helped his club sign his fellow countryman, Johan Elmander.
Loan to Deportivo La Coruña
Nantes loaned him out again, this time to Deportivo de La Coruña in Spain. This happened on January 30, 2008. He played his first game in La Liga, Spain's top league, as a substitute. He scored his first goal for Deportivo on March 1, 2008. This was in a 2–1 home win against Sevilla FC. He became a regular starter for the team. Deportivo finished ninth in the league that season.
Playing in Saudi Arabia
In 2008, Wilhelmsson signed a three-year contract with the Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal FC. He helped Al-Hilal win the league title in his second year. He scored nine goals and made ten assists in 20 games. For his great performance, he received the Player of the Season award. He went on to win four more major titles with Al-Hilal. This included two Saudi Crown Prince Cup wins in a row, where he scored in both final matches.
Loan to Al Ahli
For the first half of the 2011–12 season, Wilhelmsson played on loan for Al Ahli SC in Qatar.
Later Career and Retirement
Wilhelmsson joined LA Galaxy in the United States on September 5, 2012. He scored a goal in his first game in Major League Soccer nine days later. This was in a 2–0 win against the Colorado Rapids.
On January 14, 2013, Wilhelmsson signed a contract with Baniyas SC in the United Arab Emirates.
He later returned to his first club, Mjällby AIF, in 2014. He played in the Allsvenskan, Sweden's top league, at 34 years old. After a short time with Mjällby, he announced his retirement. However, in August 2015, he came out of retirement briefly. He wanted to help Mjällby stay in the Superettan, which is the second division. Unfortunately, they were not able to stay up.
International Career for Sweden
Christian Wilhelmsson earned his first "cap," or appearance, for the Swedish national team in 2001. He played for Sweden in several big tournaments. These included UEFA Euro 2004, Euro 2008, Euro 2012, and the 2006 FIFA World Cup. In the 2006 World Cup, he played in all four of Sweden's games.
In September 2006, he and two other players, Olof Mellberg and Zlatan Ibrahimović, were sent home from the national team. This happened because they broke a team rule about staying out late. In March 2011, he had a small disagreement with Zlatan Ibrahimović during a training session.
Wilhelmsson scored two goals in one game for Sweden for the first time on September 6, 2011. This was in a Euro 2012 qualifier against San Marino, which Sweden won 5–0. These were his seventh and eighth goals for the national team. He was also chosen to play in the Euro 2012 finals in Poland and Ukraine. He came on as a substitute in three games before Sweden exited the tournament in the group stage.
Personal Life
Christian Wilhelmsson married Russian model Oksana Andersson in May 2010. Their wedding took place in Las Vegas. Besides Swedish, he can also speak English very well.
Honours and Achievements
Christian Wilhelmsson won many titles and awards throughout his career:
Anderlecht
- Belgian Pro League: 2003–04, 2005–06
Roma
- Coppa Italia: 2006–07
Al-Hilal
- Saudi Professional League: 2009–10, 2010–11
- Saudi Crown Prince Cup: 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12
LA Galaxy
- MLS Cup: 2012
Baniyas
- GCC Champions League: 2012–13
Sweden
- King's Cup: 2003
Individual Awards
- Stor Grabb: 2005 (A Swedish football award)
- Saudi Professional League: Silver Boot 2009–10 (Award for second-highest goal scorer)
- Saudi Crown Prince Cup: 2010–11 (Recognized for his performance in the cup)
See also
In Spanish: Christian Wilhelmsson para niños
