Junior Malanda facts for kids
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Malanda with VfL Wolfsburg in 2014
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Bernard Malanda-Adje | ||
| Date of birth | 28 August 1994 | ||
| Place of birth | Brussels, Belgium | ||
| Date of death | 10 January 2015 (aged 20) | ||
| Place of death | Porta Westfalica, Germany | ||
| Height | 1.81 m | ||
| Playing position | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2000–2001 | VK Sint-Agatha-Berchem | ||
| 2001–2003 | FC Ganshoren | ||
| 2003–2004 | RSCUP Dieleghem Jette | ||
| 2004–2005 | Brussels | ||
| 2005–2007 | Anderlecht | ||
| 2007–2012 | Lille | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2011–2012 | Lille II | 17 | (1) |
| 2012–2013 | Zulte Waregem | 35 | (3) |
| 2013–2015 | VfL Wolfsburg | 17 | (2) |
| 2013 | → Zulte Waregem (loan) | 17 | (3) |
| Total | 86 | (9) | |
| National team | |||
| 2009 | Belgium U15 | 8 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | Belgium U16 | 10 | (0) |
| 2010–2011 | Belgium U17 | 9 | (0) |
| 2011–2012 | Belgium U18 | 4 | (0) |
| 2012 | Belgium U19 | 7 | (0) |
| 2013–2014 | Belgium U21 | 15 | (2) |
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Bernard Malanda-Adje (born August 28, 1994 – died January 10, 2015), known as Junior Malanda, was a talented Belgian footballer. He played as a defensive midfielder for the German club VfL Wolfsburg.
Junior Malanda started his football journey in youth teams like Brussels, Anderlecht, and Lille. He then played for Lille's reserve team. In 2012, he joined Zulte Waregem in Belgium, where he became a key player. His team finished second in the 2012–13 Belgian Pro League.
Later, he signed with VfL Wolfsburg in Germany's top league, the Bundesliga. He was loaned back to Zulte Waregem for a season before joining Wolfsburg fully. Malanda also proudly represented Belgium at various youth levels, including the under-21 team.
Sadly, Junior Malanda passed away at the age of 20 in a car accident in Germany. Over 1,000 people attended his funeral in his hometown of Brussels.
Contents
Junior Malanda's Club Career
Early Football Days
Junior Malanda started playing football in Belgium with youth teams like RWDM Brussels FC and R.S.C. Anderlecht. In 2007, when he was 13, he moved to France to join the Ligue 1 club Lille OSC.
He spent the 2010–11 season playing for Lille's reserve team. This team played in the fourth division of French football. He made his first appearance for them on October 9, 2011. Malanda played 17 league games that season and scored one goal.
Playing for Zulte Waregem
On July 7, 2012, at just 17 years old, Malanda returned to Belgium. He signed a three-year contract with Zulte Waregem. He made his debut in the Belgian Pro League on August 5, helping his team win 3–1 against Gent.
Malanda played 36 league matches for Zulte Waregem. He scored 3 goals as his team finished second in the league, right behind Anderlecht. He scored an important goal on April 21, 2013, helping his team beat the champions 2–1.
On August 1, 2013, the German club VfL Wolfsburg signed Malanda. They agreed to loan him back to Zulte Waregem for the rest of that season. A few days later, he played his first European club match. This was a UEFA Champions League game against PSV Eindhoven, which Zulte Waregem lost. Malanda also played 8 matches in the UEFA Europa League and scored two goals in that competition.
Time with VfL Wolfsburg
Junior Malanda was called back to VfL Wolfsburg by their manager Dieter Hecking on January 1, 2014. He was first on the team's bench for a match on January 25. His official debut for Wolfsburg came on February 8, in a 3–0 win against Mainz 05.
On March 25, he scored his first goal for Wolfsburg in a 3–1 win against Werder Bremen. He scored another goal on April 12 against 1. FC Nürnberg. However, an injury kept Malanda out for the rest of the 2013–14 season.
International Football for Belgium
When he was 17, Junior Malanda was the captain of the Belgium national under-19 football team. He represented Belgium at various youth levels, showing his leadership skills early on.
Malanda's Playing Style
Early in his career, Junior Malanda played as a right back. However, he later became well-known as a strong and effective defensive midfielder.
Junior Malanda's Personal Life
Junior Malanda came from a Belgian family with roots in the Congo. He had a brother named Rudy. He was also good friends with his Wolfsburg teammates Kevin De Bruyne and Ivan Perišić.
Junior Malanda's Passing
Car Accident and Funeral
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On January 10, 2015, Junior Malanda was a passenger in a car traveling on a highway in northern Germany. The car left the road and crashed into a tree. Malanda was not wearing his seatbelt and was sadly killed instantly. The police said the accident was caused by driving too fast for the very rainy weather conditions.
Malanda's funeral was held on January 20 at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Brussels. More than 1,000 people came to pay their respects. This included his manager from Wolfsburg, Dieter Hecking, and the manager of the Belgium national football team, Marc Wilmots. Songs and dances from his family's ancestral Congo were part of the service. After the funeral, he was buried near Brussels, where he grew up.
Tributes and Reactions
Many famous footballers shared their sadness and paid tribute to Junior Malanda on social media. These included Thibaut Courtois, Ivan Perišić, Nicklas Bendtner, Benedikt Höwedes, Kevin De Bruyne, and Mario Götze. Fellow Belgian player Romelu Lukaku dedicated his next goal to Malanda. Bayern Munich held a minute of silence for him at their training camp.
Fans of Wolfsburg also showed their support. They marched outside the Volkswagen Arena in tribute. When Wolfsburg played their first match after his passing, a huge banner with Malanda's name and image was displayed by fans in the stadium.
At the end of that season, Wolfsburg reached the final of the DFB-Pokal cup. They wore special shirts with Malanda's squad number 19 inside a heart. The club later decided to retire his number 19 for the next season, meaning no other player would wear it.
Junior Malanda's Achievements
VfL Wolfsburg
- DFB-Pokal: 2014–15
See also
In Spanish: Junior Malanda para niños
