kids encyclopedia robot

Radhi Jaïdi facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Radhi Jaïdi
Radhi Jaidi 2019.jpg
Jaïdi in 2019
Personal information
Full name Radhi Ben Abdelmajid Jaïdi
Date of birth (1975-08-30) 30 August 1975 (age 49)
Place of birth Gabès, Tunisia
Height 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)
Playing position Centre back
Youth career
1988–1992 Stade Gabèsien
1992–1993 Espérance de Tunis
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1993–2004 Espérance de Tunis 288 (20)
2004–2006 Bolton Wanderers 43 (8)
2006–2009 Birmingham City 86 (6)
2009–2012 Southampton 58 (4)
Total 475 (38)
National team
1996–2009 Tunisia 105 (7)
Teams managed
2017–2019 Southampton U-23
2019–2020 Hartford Athletic
2021 Cercle Brugge (assistant)
2021–2022 Espérance de Tunis
Honours
Men's football
Representing  Tunisia
Africa Cup of Nations
Winner 2004 Tunisia
  • Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Radhi Ben Abdelmajid Jaïdi (born 30 August 1975) is a former professional footballer from Tunisia. He played as a centre back, which is a defensive position in football. After his playing career, he became a coach. He has coached teams like the under-23 team at Southampton and USL Championship team Hartford Athletic. He also worked as an assistant coach for Cercle Brugge in Belgium and was head coach for Espérance de Tunis.

Radhi Jaïdi's Football Journey

Playing for Clubs

Espérance: A Champion in Tunisia

Before moving to England, Jaïdi played for Espérance in Tunisia. He was the only player at that time to have won all four of Africa's main club cup competitions with this team. This shows how successful he was in African football.

Bolton Wanderers: Premier League Debut

In July 2004, Jaïdi joined Bolton Wanderers in England. He moved on a free transfer after Espérance had won the Tunisian league title. Jaïdi made history by becoming the first Tunisian player to play in the Premier League, England's top football league, with Bolton.

Birmingham City: Three Years in England

Jaïdi moved to Birmingham City in the summer of 2006. He played for the club for three years. He made his first appearance in a match against Crystal Palace. His contract ended in June 2009, and he left the club.

Southampton: Final Playing Years

In August 2009, Jaïdi joined Football League One club Southampton. He signed a two-year contract after getting a work permit. He made his debut for Southampton in September 2009. He scored his first goal for the team in a 1–1 draw against Carlisle United. This goal came in the last minute of the game.

He stopped playing football at the end of the 2011–12 season. He had some injuries and did not play for the first team much in his last season. After retiring as a player, he stayed at Southampton in a role that helped develop international players.

Playing for Tunisia: International Career

Jaïdi was also a regular player for the Tunisia national team. He was chosen to play in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. In their first game against Saudi Arabia, he scored a goal that helped Tunisia get a 2–2 draw.

He was part of the Tunisian team that won the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations. This is a major football tournament for African countries. He also captained the Tunisian team in the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations. In that tournament, Tunisia reached the quarter-finals but lost to Cameroon.

Radhi Jaïdi's Coaching Roles

Radhi Jaidi in charge of Esperance de Tunis
Radhi Jaidi coaching Espérance de Tunis

After finishing his playing career at Southampton, Jaïdi started coaching. He became the head coach for Southampton's under-23 team.

In November 2019, he was named the head coach for the American team Hartford Athletic. This team plays in the USL Championship. He hoped this job would help him return to coach in Europe later.

In February 2021, Jaïdi worked as an assistant coach for Belgian First Division A club Cercle Brugge in Belgium. He stayed there until August 2021.

In August 2021, he returned to his former club, Espérance de Tunis, as their head coach. He won his first trophy as a manager with them in September 2021, beating CS Sfaxien in the Super Cup. However, he was removed from his role in June 2022 because of poor results.

Radhi Jaïdi's Personal Life

Radhi Jaïdi was born in Gabès, Tunisia. His father passed away when he was eleven years old, and his mother raised him. He currently lives in England.

Honours and Achievements

As a Player

With ES Tunis

  • Tunisian Ligue Professionnelle 1: 1993–94, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04 (won 8 times)
  • Tunisian Cup: 1996–97, 1998–99
  • Tunisian Super Cup: 2001
  • CAF Champions League: 1994
  • African Cup Winners' Cup: 1998
  • CAF Cup: 1997
  • CAF Super Cup: 1995
  • Arab Super Cup: 1996

With Southampton

  • Football League Trophy: 2010

With Tunisia National Team

As a Manager

With ES Tunis

  • Tunisian Super Cup: 2021

Images for kids

See also

  • List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
kids search engine
Radhi Jaïdi Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.