Joel Obi facts for kids
Obi playing for Inter in 2011
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Joel Chukwuma Obi | ||
| Date of birth | 22 May 1991 | ||
| Place of birth | Lagos, Nigeria | ||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2005–2010 | Inter Milan | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2010–2015 | Inter Milan | 50 | (1) |
| 2013–2014 | → Parma (loan) | 8 | (0) |
| 2015–2018 | Torino | 52 | (6) |
| 2018–2021 | Chievo | 71 | (6) |
| 2019 | → Alanyaspor (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 2021–2022 | Salernitana | 21 | (0) |
| 2022–2023 | Reggina | 1 | (0) |
| 2024–2025 | Vis Pesaro | 17 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2011–2018 | Nigeria | 17 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 27 April 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 14 September 2019 |
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Joel Chukwuma Obi (born May 22, 1991), also known as Joel Obi, is a professional football player from Nigeria. He plays in the middle of the field as a midfielder.
Contents
Club Career
Starting at Inter Milan
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Joel Obi's journey in professional football began at the youth academy of Inter Milan, one of Italy's most famous clubs. After helping the Under-17 team win a championship in 2008, he moved up to the Primavera team, which is the top level for youth players. He played over 40 games and scored six goals for them.
His talent was noticed by the famous coach José Mourinho, who sometimes invited him to train with the main team. In 2010, Obi was officially part of the Inter squad that won the Champions League, a huge achievement for any player.
Joining the First Team
In the summer of 2010, the new coach Rafael Benítez made Obi a permanent member of the first team. He made his official debut on September 29, 2010, in a Champions League match against the German team Werder Bremen. Inter won the game 4–0.
A few weeks later, on October 17, 2010, Obi played his first game in Serie A, Italy's top football league. He came on as a substitute in a 1–0 victory against Cagliari.
During the 2011–12 season, Obi became a more regular player. On April 29, 2012, he scored his very first goal in Serie A against Cesena. His goal helped Inter win the match 2–1. Unfortunately, a serious injury later cut his season short.
After recovering, Obi returned to the field on October 4, 2012, in a Europa League game. He scored a goal against Neftchi Baku, which was a special moment as it was Inter's 500th goal in UEFA competitions.
Loan to Parma
To get more playing time, Obi was sent on loan to the club Parma for the 2013–14 season. A loan is a temporary move where a player plays for another club but is still owned by their original club. He played eight games for Parma before returning to Inter.
Return to Inter Milan
Obi came back to Inter for the 2014–15 season. On November 23, he scored an important goal in the famous Milan derby against city rivals A.C. Milan. The game ended in a 1–1 draw. In total, Obi played 71 games for Inter and scored three goals.
Moving to Torino
On July 2, 2015, Obi moved to another Italian club, Torino. He signed a four-year contract with them. After some early injuries, he became a key player. During the 2017–18 season, he had his best year for scoring, with five goals in 22 league games.
Later Career
On August 11, 2018, Obi joined Chievo Verona. During his time there, he also had a short loan spell in Turkey with the club Alanyaspor in 2019.
After Chievo, Obi continued his career in Italy. He signed with Salernitana on July 21, 2021, helping them compete in Serie A. A year later, he moved to Reggina. In January 2024, Obi joined Vis Pesaro, where he continues to play.
International Career
Playing for your country's national team is a great honor for any footballer. Obi made his first appearance for the Nigeria national team, also known as the Super Eagles, on February 9, 2011. The match was a friendly game against Sierra Leone.
He quickly became a regular starter for Nigeria. In 2018, he was chosen to be part of Nigeria's 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, one of the biggest tournaments in world sports.
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Internazionale | 2010–11 | Serie A | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| 2011–12 | 27 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 4 | 1 | |||
| 2014–15 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 15 | 1 | |||
| Total | 50 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 69 | 2 | ||
| Parma (loan) | 2013–14 | Serie A | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 8 | 0 | ||
| Torino | 2015–16 | Serie A | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 1 | ||
| 2016–17 | 20 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 23 | 0 | ||||
| 2017–18 | 22 | 5 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 25 | 6 | ||||
| Total | 52 | 6 | 7 | 1 | — | — | 59 | 7 | ||||
| Chievo | 2018–19 | Serie A | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 1 | ||
| 2019–20 | 29 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 29 | 1 | ||||
| 2020–21 | Serie B | 31 | 4 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 32 | 4 | |||
| Total | 71 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 72 | 6 | ||||
| Alanyaspor (loan) | 2018–19 | Süper Lig | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||
| Salernitana | 2021–22 | Serie A | 21 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 23 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 204 | 13 | 16 | 1 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 233 | 15 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | 2011 | 11 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 16 | 0 | |
Honours
Internazionale
- Coppa Italia: 2010–11
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2010
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2010
See also
In Spanish: Joel Chukwuma Obi para niños
