Rio Mavuba facts for kids
Mavuba lining up for Lille in 2011
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Rio Antonio Zoba Mavuba | ||
| Date of birth | 8 March 1984 | ||
| Place of birth | Born at sea | ||
| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2002–2003 | Bordeaux | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2003–2007 | Bordeaux | 127 | (1) |
| 2007–2008 | Villarreal | 5 | (0) |
| 2008 | → Lille (loan) | 17 | (1) |
| 2008–2017 | Lille | 282 | (4) |
| 2017–2018 | Sparta Prague | 11 | (0) |
| 2024 | Bordeaux B | 3 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2003 | DR Congo U21 | 1 | (0) |
| 2004–2006 | France U21 | 21 | (1) |
| 2004–2014 | France | 13 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Rio Antonio Zoba Mavuba (born March 8, 1984) is a French former professional footballer. He played as a midfielder, which is a player who helps both attack and defense.
Rio spent most of his career playing for two French clubs: Bordeaux and Lille. He achieved a big win with Lille, helping them become the champions of France in 2011.
He also played for the French national team from 2004 to 2014. Mavuba even represented France at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, which is one of the biggest football tournaments in the world.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Rio Mavuba's story is quite unique. He was born on a boat in international waters on March 8, 1984. This happened during a difficult time, the Angolan Civil War. Because of this, his birth certificate simply said "born at sea" instead of a country.
His father, Mavuba Mafuila, was also a famous footballer. He played for Zaire in the 1974 FIFA World Cup. Rio's mother was from Angola.
Sadly, Rio's mother passed away when he was only two years old. His father died when Rio was 12. Football became a very important part of his life, helping him cope with these losses. His nephew, Kenny, also became a footballer.
Club Career Highlights
Rio Mavuba had a long and successful career playing for several football clubs.
Starting at Bordeaux
Mavuba began his youth football journey with Bordeaux. He made his first professional appearance in France's top league, Ligue 1, on January 10, 2004. He quickly became a regular player for the team.
From the 2004–05 season onwards, Rio played in almost every league match for Bordeaux. This shows how important he was to the team.
Moving to Villarreal and Lille
On July 3, 2007, Mavuba moved to Spain to play for Villarreal. He signed a five-year contract with the club. However, he found it challenging to get a regular spot in the starting team.
In January 2008, he joined Lille in France on a loan. This move became permanent in the summer of 2008. He signed a four-year contract with Lille.
Rio had an amazing third year with Lille during the 2010–11 season. He played in 46 matches and helped Les Dogues (Lille's nickname) win both the Ligue 1 championship and the Coupe de France cup. This was a huge achievement for the club, as they hadn't won the league in 57 years!
In the 2012–13 season, Mavuba faced a challenge when he got a knee injury. This kept him off the field for over three months. When he returned, he continued to be a strong leader for the team.
On December 22, 2013, as the team captain, he scored his first goal of the 2013–14 season. This goal helped Lille get a 2–2 draw against Paris Saint-Germain. During this match, he was involved in a small disagreement with another player, Zlatan Ibrahimović, and both players received a yellow card.
Rio signed a new four-year contract with Lille on May 26, 2015, showing his continued commitment to the club.
Later Career and Coaching
On July 21, 2017, when he was 33 years old, Mavuba moved to the Czech Republic. He signed a three-year contract with Sparta Prague.
He returned to France on September 14, 2018, joining an amateur team called Mérignac-Arlac. In April 2019, Rio Mavuba became the manager of this team.
In October 2020, he took on a new role as an assistant coach for Bordeaux's reserve team. More recently, on August 28, 2024, it was announced that Mavuba had decided to play again! He came out of retirement to help his former club, Bordeaux, after they were moved down to a lower league.
Playing for France
Rio Mavuba also had a notable international career playing for his country.
In December 2003, he played a friendly match for the DR Congo national under-21 team. He could have also played for Angola.
From 2004 to 2006, he was the captain of the French under-21 team.
Mavuba earned his first cap (which means playing his first game) for the senior French national team on August 18, 2004. This was a friendly match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. He later chose to play for France, even though he was invited to play for DR Congo.
French coach Didier Deschamps selected Mavuba for the 2014 FIFA World Cup squad. Rio made his debut in the World Cup on June 15, coming on as a substitute in a 3–0 win against Honduras.
Career Achievements
Rio Mavuba won several important titles during his football career:
Bordeaux
- Coupe de la Ligue: 2006–07 (a French League Cup)
Lille
- Ligue 1: 2010–11 (the top French football league)
- Coupe de France: 2010–11 (the main French knockout cup competition)
See also
In Spanish: Rio Mavuba para niños
