Romaric (footballer) facts for kids
Romaric with Sevilla in 2010
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Koffi Christian Romaric N'Dri | ||
| Date of birth | 4 June 1983 | ||
| Place of birth | Abidjan, Ivory Coast | ||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
AFAD Djékanou (manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| ASEC Mimosas | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2001–2003 | ASEC Mimosas | ||
| 2003–2005 | Beveren | 44 | (18) |
| 2005–2008 | Le Mans | 89 | (7) |
| 2008–2012 | Sevilla | 81 | (3) |
| 2011–2012 | → Espanyol (loan) | 28 | (3) |
| 2012–2013 | Zaragoza | 12 | (0) |
| 2013–2015 | Bastia | 60 | (4) |
| 2015–2016 | Omonia | 30 | (0) |
| 2016 | NorthEast United | 12 | (2) |
| Total | 356 | (37) | |
| International career | |||
| 2005–2013 | Ivory Coast | 44 | (4) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2022– | AFAD Djékanou | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Koffi Christian Romaric N'Dri (born June 4, 1983), known as Romaric, is a former professional football player from Ivory Coast. He is now a manager for the Ligue 1 club AFAD Djékanou. Romaric was a very flexible midfielder, meaning he could play in different positions in the middle of the field.
He played football in six different countries, mostly in France and Spain. In France, he played 149 games in Ligue 1 for Le Mans and Bastia. In Spain, he played 121 games in La Liga for Sevilla, Espanyol, and Zaragoza.
Romaric played for the Ivory Coast for eight years. During this time, he went to two World Cups and three Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. His team finished second in the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations.
Contents
Romaric's Football Journey
Starting Out in Football
Romaric was born in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. He began his football journey at the famous youth academy of his hometown club, ASEC Mimosas. In 2003, he moved to K.S.K. Beveren in Belgium.
In his second season in Belgium (2004–05), he scored 13 goals in 32 games. This was his best goal-scoring season in his career. Even with his goals, his team barely avoided being moved down to a lower league.
Playing for Le Mans
In May 2005, Romaric joined the French club Le Mans UC72. However, in late August, he was in a serious car accident near Liège, Belgium. He broke his collarbone and hit his head.
Romaric recovered quickly from his injuries. He became a key player in the team's starting lineup. In the 2006–07 season, he scored five goals in 35 matches. Le Mans easily stayed in Ligue 1, finishing 12th. In his last season (2007–08) with Le Mans, he played again with his friend Gervinho. They had been teammates before at Beveren.
Time with Sevilla
On May 21, 2008, Romaric signed a four-year contract with Sevilla FC in Spain. The transfer fee was between €8 and €10 million. He joined his countryman Arouna Koné at the club. He scored his first goal in La Liga on December 7, in a 4–3 away win against Real Madrid. In his first season (2008–09), he played 36 matches and started 30 of them. Sevilla finished third in the league.
Later, another Ivorian midfielder, Didier Zokora, joined the team. This meant Romaric played fewer minutes. On January 9, 2010, he scored in a 1–2 home loss against Racing de Santander.
At the end of the 2011 summer transfer period, Romaric went on a one-season loan to RCD Espanyol, another team in the same league. The agreement included an option for Espanyol to buy him permanently.
Later Club Adventures
On July 26, 2012, Romaric left Sevilla. He then signed a two-year deal with Real Zaragoza, another team in the Spanish league. He reunited with his former manager, Manolo Jiménez, there. He played only 14 matches in total for Zaragoza. The team was moved down to a lower league at the end of the 2012–13 season.
Romaric went back to France and its top league on August 1, 2013. He joined SC Bastia for two years, with an option for a third. He met his former Le Mans coach, Frédéric Hantz, there. He played in the first four matches of Bastia's 2014–15 Coupe de la Ligue journey. However, he was a substitute who did not play in the final, which Bastia lost 4–0 to Paris Saint-Germain.
After leaving Bastia, he was a free agent for a while. On September 10, 2015, he moved to AC Omonia in the Cypriot First Division for the rest of the 2015–16 season. His club reached the final of the domestic cup, but lost 2–1 to Apollon Limassol.
On August 14, 2016, Romaric moved to another country again. He joined NorthEast United FC for the upcoming season of the Indian Super League.
Playing for His Country
Romaric first played for the Ivory Coast on August 17, 2005. This was in a friendly game against France in Montpellier, which Ivory Coast lost 0–3. He was chosen for the 2006 FIFA World Cup squad the next year. He played in the group stage match where Ivory Coast lost 1–2 to the Netherlands.
Romaric also played for the Elephants in the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations. His team finished as runners-up after losing to hosts Egypt in the final. He scored his first goal for his country on March 29, 2009. It was just 28 seconds into a 5–0 home win against Malawi. This game was part of the 2010 World Cup qualifiers.
Romaric was selected for the World Cup in South Africa in 2010. He played in all the games during the group stage. He scored a goal against North Korea at Mbombela Stadium in a 3–0 win. However, he was not part of the squad for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, where Ivory Coast again finished as runners-up.
International Goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | March 29, 2009 | Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso |  Malawi |
1–0 | 5–0 | 2010 World Cup qualification |
| 2. | June 7, 2009 | Conakry, Guinea |  Guinea |
2–1 | 2–1 | 2010 World Cup qualification |
| 3. | June 25, 2010 | Nelspruit, South Africa |  North Korea |
2–0 | 3–0 | 2010 FIFA World Cup |
| 4. | October 9, 2010 | Bujumbura, Burundi |  Burundi |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
Romaric's Coaching Career
In November 2017, Romaric became an assistant coach at ASEC Mimosas. He was in charge of their reserve team. ASEC Mimosas later closed their reserve squad in September 2020.
In 2021, Romaric was named manager for Zoman FC, a team in Ivory Coast's third division. In his first season, he helped them get promoted to the second division.
In March 2022, Romaric was appointed manager for AFAD Djekanou. This team plays in the top league in Ivory Coast, the Ligue 1.
Football Achievements
Sevilla
- Copa del Rey: 2009–10 (Winner)
- Supercopa de España runner-up: 2010 (Second Place)
Ivory Coast
- Africa Cup of Nations runner-up: 2006 (Second Place)
See also
In Spanish: Romaric para niños
