Geremi facts for kids
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Geremi with Newcastle United in 2009
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 20 December 1978 | ||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Bafoussam, Cameroon | ||||||||||||
| Height | 1.77 m | ||||||||||||
| Playing position | Right back, midfielder | ||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||
| 1995–1996 | Racing Bafoussam | 28 | (5) | ||||||||||
| 1996–1997 | Cerro Porteño | 6 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 1997–1999 | Gençlerbirliği | 57 | (9) | ||||||||||
| 1999–2003 | Real Madrid | 45 | (2) | ||||||||||
| 2002–2003 | → Middlesbrough (loan) | 33 | (7) | ||||||||||
| 2003–2007 | Chelsea | 72 | (4) | ||||||||||
| 2007–2009 | Newcastle United | 49 | (2) | ||||||||||
| 2010 | Ankaragücü | 12 | (2) | ||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | AEL | 10 | (0) | ||||||||||
| Total | 312 | (29) | |||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||
| 1996–2010 | Cameroon | 118 | (13) | ||||||||||
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Honours
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Geremi Sorele Njitap Fotso (born 20 December 1978), known simply as Geremi, is a former professional footballer from Cameroon. He was a very flexible player. He could play as a right back, a right midfielder, or a defensive midfielder. Geremi was known for his strength, speed, tough playing style, and great free-kick skills.
Geremi had his most successful times playing for Real Madrid and Chelsea. He won the UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid. With Chelsea, he won important national awards.
Geremi played 118 games for the Cameroon national team from 1996 to 2010. He scored 13 goals for his country. He played in seven Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, winning in 2000 and 2002. He also played in the 2002 and 2010 World Cups. In 2000, he won a gold medal at the Olympics.
Contents
Playing Football
Starting Out
Geremi was born in Bafoussam, Cameroon. His family loved football, and his father was a former player. Even though his father encouraged him to focus on school, Geremi chose to become a professional footballer. He gave up his university exams to play full-time.
Geremi started his career with a local team in Bafoussam called Racing FC in 1995. This club was in Cameroon's top league. Racing FC had won the league the year before Geremi joined. In his only season there, they won the Cameroonian Cup.
In 1996, Geremi moved to Cerro Porteño in Paraguay. He was scouted while playing for the Cameroon U21 national team in Brazil. Geremi was 18 when he joined the club. He played for six months before moving to Europe. He wanted to be closer to his family.
Playing in Europe
Geremi then spent two seasons in Turkey with Gençlerbirliği. He played in 57 games for them. After this, he got a big move to Real Madrid.
Real Madrid Years
Geremi played for Real Madrid for three years. During this time, he won the UEFA Champions League twice. He scored two goals for the Spanish team. His first goal was a late winner in a club world championship game. His second goal was against Bayern Munich in the Champions League. In 2000, Geremi was even nominated for the Ballon d'Or, a famous award for the best footballer.
Geremi wanted to play more often. So, for the 2002–03 season, he moved to Middlesbrough on loan from Real Madrid. He had a very good season there.
Chelsea Success
After playing well for Cameroon in a tournament, Chelsea bought Geremi from Real Madrid in July 2003. They paid about £6.9 million for him. He had a great first season at Stamford Bridge. Later in his time at Chelsea, he played less often. Sometimes, he played as a right-back, which was not his favorite position.
However, his coach, José Mourinho, thought highly of him. Mourinho said Geremi was a player who was always ready to help the team. He could play in different positions and always worked hard. In his last year at Chelsea, Geremi scored a winning goal against West Ham United with a powerful free-kick. His last game for Chelsea was against Liverpool in the Champions League semi-final. Chelsea lost after a penalty shootout, and Geremi's penalty was saved.
While at Chelsea, the club won the Premier League in 2004–05 and 2005–06. Geremi played enough games to earn a winner's medal in both seasons.
Newcastle United
Geremi joined Newcastle United on 6 July 2007. He signed a three-year contract. He was made club captain for the 2007–08 season by manager Sam Allardyce. However, he lost the captain's armband to Michael Owen later that season.
Geremi played his first game for Newcastle in a 3–1 win against Bolton Wanderers. In January 2008, he left to play for Cameroon in the 2008 African Cup of Nations. He returned in February after Cameroon finished second. He scored his first goal for Newcastle against Tottenham Hotspur with a free-kick. He also scored a header against West Ham. In his first season, Geremi played 27 league games and scored two goals.
In the 2008–09 season, Geremi played less often. Newcastle had a new manager, and Geremi made 11 league starts without scoring. Newcastle was relegated from the Premier League at the end of this season.
In the 2009–10 season, Geremi played even less. He scored his third goal for Newcastle in a League Cup match against Huddersfield Town. In January 2010, Geremi left Newcastle to join a Turkish club.
Later Career
On 31 January 2010, Geremi moved to Ankaragücü in Turkey. He signed a contract for one and a half years.
On 25 August 2010, Geremi moved to AEL in Greece. He signed a two-year contract. However, his contract was ended on 11 January 2011.
Playing for his Country
Geremi started his international career with Cameroon's youth teams. He played in the 1995 U-20 Youth World Cup. He played in all four games for the team.
Geremi made his first appearance for the senior Cameroon team in October 1996. He played in four World Cup qualifying games for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. However, he was not chosen for the final squad.
Geremi won an Olympic Gold medal with Cameroon in Sydney in 2000. He was the captain of his country's team. He also won two Africa Cup of Nations titles in 2000 and 2002.
Geremi was part of the Cameroon team that qualified for the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Japan. He played in all three of Cameroon's World Cup games in 2002. He scored a free-kick in a friendly game against England before the tournament.
Cameroon did not qualify for the 2006 World Cup. Geremi played in nine of their ten games and scored twice.
In the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, Cameroon reached the final but lost to Egypt. Geremi played in every game and was named to the Team of the Tournament.
Geremi played his 100th game for Cameroon on 11 February 2009. He scored a goal from a free-kick in a 3–1 friendly win against Guinea.
He played in 11 qualifying matches for the 2010 World Cup. Cameroon finished top of their group. In January 2010, Geremi played in the 2010 Cup of Nations.
Geremi was part of the Cameroon squad that played in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. He played in all three of Cameroon's matches.
Life Off the Pitch
Geremi's father, Samuel, was also a footballer. He played for Cameroon in the 1970s. Samuel was known as "Poison Arrow" because he had powerful and accurate shots.
Geremi's cousin, Pierre Webó, was also a professional footballer. He played alongside Geremi for Cameroon at the 2010 World Cup.
Geremi can speak English, Spanish, and Turkish.
Career Numbers
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Racing Bafoussam | 1995 | Cameroonian Premier League | 5 | 0 | – | – | – | 5 | 0 | |||||
| 1996 | 23 | 5 | – | – | 23 | 5 | ||||||||
| Total | 28 | 5 | — | — | 28 | 5 | ||||||||
| Cerro Porteño | 1997 | Paraguayan Primera División | 6 | 0 | – | – | 4 | 0 | – | 10 | 0 | |||
| Gençlerbirliği | 1997–98 | Süper Lig | 28 | 4 | 3 | 1 | – | – | – | 31 | 5 | |||
| 1998–99 | 29 | 5 | 3 | 1 | – | – | – | 32 | 6 | |||||
| Total | 57 | 9 | 6 | 2 | — | — | — | 63 | 11 | |||||
| Real Madrid | 1999–2000 | La Liga | 20 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 8 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 34 | 1 | |
| 2000–01 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 26 | 0 | |||
| 2001–02 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 1 | |||
| Total | 45 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 21 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 76 | 2 | |||
| Middlesbrough (loan) | 2002–03 | Premier League | 33 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 34 | 7 | ||
| Chelsea | 2003–04 | Premier League | 25 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 0 | – | 39 | 1 | |
| 2004–05 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | – | 20 | 0 | |||
| 2005–06 | 15 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 2 | ||
| 2006–07 | 19 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 1 | ||
| Total | 72 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 109 | 4 | ||
| Newcastle United | 2007–08 | Premier League | 27 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 28 | 2 | ||
| 2008–09 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 17 | 0 | ||||
| 2009–10 | Championship | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | – | – | 9 | 1 | |||
| Total | 49 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | – | – | 54 | 3 | ||||
| Ankaragücü | 2009–10 | Süper Lig | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | 12 | 2 | |||
| AEL | 2010–11 | Super League Greece | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | 11 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 312 | 29 | 21 | 2 | 13 | 1 | 43 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 397 | 34 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cameroon | 1996 | 3 | 0 |
| 1997 | 9 | 0 | |
| 1998 | 4 | 0 | |
| 1999 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2000 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2001 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2002 | 14 | 1 | |
| 2003 | 9 | 1 | |
| 2004 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2005 | 6 | 3 | |
| 2006 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2007 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2008 | 11 | 2 | |
| 2009 | 9 | 2 | |
| 2010 | 10 | 1 | |
| Total | 118 | 13 |
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 26 May 2002 | Universiade Memorial Stadium, Kobe, Japan |  England |
2–2 | Draw | International friendly |
| 2. | 21 June 2003 | Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France |  Turkey |
1–0 | Win | 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup |
| 3. | 9 February 2005 | Stade Dominique Duvauchelle, Creteil, France |  Senegal |
1–0 | Win | Friendly |
| 4. | 27 March 2005 | Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo, Yaoundé, Cameroon |  Sudan |
2–1 | Win | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 5. | 4 June 2005 | Stade de l'Amitié, Cotonou, Benin |  Benin |
1–4 | Win | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 6. | 29 January 2006 | Cairo Military Academy Stadium, Cairo, Egypt |  DR Congo |
2–0 | Win | 2006 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 7. | 3 September 2006 | Stade Amahoro, Kigali, Rwanda |  Rwanda |
0–3 | Win | 2008 Africa Nations Cup qualification |
| 8. | 17 June 2007 | Stade Omnisports Roumdé Adjia, Garoua, Cameroon | Rwanda |
2–1 | Win | 2008 Africa Nations Cup qualification |
| 9. | 26 January 2008 | Baba Yara Stadium, Kumasi, Ghana |  Zambia |
5–1 | Win | 2008 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 10. | 4 February 2008 | Tamale Stadium, Tamale, Ghana |  Tunisia |
2–3 | Win | 2008 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 11. | 11 February 2009 | Stade Robert Bobin, Bondoufle, France |  Guinea |
3–1 | Win | Friendly |
| 12. | 10 October 2009 | Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo, Yaoundé, Cameroon |  Togo |
3–0 | Win | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 13. | 17 January 2010 | Estádio Nacional da Tundavala, Lubango, Angola | Zambia |
3–2 | Win | 2010 Africa Cup of Nations |
What He Won
Racing Bafoussam
- Cameroonian Cup: 1996
Real Madrid
- La Liga: 2000–01
- UEFA Champions League: 1999–2000, 2001–02
Chelsea
- Premier League: 2004–05, 2005–06
- FA Community Shield: 2005
Newcastle United
- Football League Championship: 2009–10
Cameroon
- Olympic Gold Medal: 2000
- African Cup of Nations: 2000, 2002
Individual
- Africa Cup of Nations: Team of All Tournaments
More to See
In Spanish: Geremi Njitap para niños
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
