Cha Du-Ri
Encyclopedia
Cha Du-Ri is a German-born South Korean professional footballer who currently plays for Scottish Premier League
club Celtic
. He can operate as a right back
, right winger, or striker. Cha Du-Ri is also the first Korean player that was born outside of Korea to have played in a FIFA World Cup
. Cha's father, Cha Bum-Kun
played in the 1986 World Cup
. Cha has also played for one of his father's old clubs, Eintracht Frankfurt
. During the third place match of the 2011 AFC Asian Cup
against Uzbekistan, Cha captained the national team in place of the regular Korean captain, Park Ji Sung.
was starring in the German Bundesliga
with Eintracht Frankfurt
, and spent his childhood in Germany while his father was playing for Frankfurt and later for Bayer Leverkusen.
and Eintracht Frankfurt
.
, but throughout the season, he was hampered with a foot injury that prevented him from joining the starting line-up or even getting some playing time.
After the 2006–07 season, Mainz
were relegated to 2. Fußball-Bundesliga
, and subsequently after, Cha terminated the contract.
in 2. Fußball-Bundesliga
for the 2007–08 season. He also has switched his positions back to right right winger, supporting Striker, and the centre forward position, after his failure to adjust to right wingback for Mainz
.
and signed a contract for two years with SC Freiburg
.
, Cha arrived in Glasgow for a medical on 30 June 2010. In an interview regarding the completion of a move to Parkhead, Cha expressed his desire to compete in an Old Firm
derby. Cha signed for Celtic pending approval of a work permit. In doing so he joined up with his national team mate Ki Sung-Yeung.
On 28 July 2010 Cha made his Celtic debut in the UEFA Champions League Third qualifying round against Braga
, a 3–0 defeat and on 14 August made his SPL debut against Inverness Caledonian Thistle in a 1–0 win over the Highland side. Cha scored his first Celtic goal against St Johnstone in the SPL on 26 December 2010.
when the national team played a practice match against Korea University
. Strong, aggressive and pacey, he was still playing amateur football when he made his debut for the South Korea national team in 2001.
, even though his playing time was limited to off-the-bench appearances. South Korea surprised the football world by advancing to the semi-finals of the tournament, beating the likes of Portugal
and Italy
along the way. Their fairy-tale run ended in the semi-finals when they were eliminated after losing 1–0 to Germany
, with Michael Ballack
netting the only goal.
, and instead acted as a colour commentator
for MBC's
live telecasts of the tournament's games alongside his father.
Pim Verbeek, South Korea's head coach, added him into his squad for the qualification of the 2007 Asian Cup
. On 14 October 2009, Cha was called back to international duty against Senegal
. It was the first time Cha had been selected for the Korean national team since late 2006.
, Cha played as an attacking right-back during the first half of the game against Greece, venturing forward and providing an attacking threat on the right side. During the second half, South Korea were leading so he stayed back in a more defensive role for his side. He did not take part in the following qualifying match against Argentina and South Korea lost 4–1. He was influential in the next match draw against Nigeria. On 26 June, Cha played his 50th game for South Korea in a 1–2 loss against Uruguay
.
|2002–03||Arminia Bielefeld
||Fußball-Bundesliga
||21||1||2||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||23||1
|-
|2003–04||rowspan="3"|Eintracht Frankfurt
||Fußball-Bundesliga
||31||1||2||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||33||1
|-
|2004–05||2. Fußball-Bundesliga
||29||8||3||1||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||32||9
|-
|2005–06||Fußball-Bundesliga
||27||3||3||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||30||3
|-
|2006–07||Mainz
||Fußball-Bundesliga
||12||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||13||0
|-
|2007–08||rowspan="2"|Koblenz
||rowspan="2"|2. Fußball-Bundesliga
||28||1||0||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||28||1
|-
|2008–09||33||2||1||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||34||2
|-
|2009–10
||Freiburg
||Fußball-Bundesliga
||23||1||2||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||25||1
|-
187||17||14||1||0||0||0||0||204||18
|-
|2010–11
||rowspan="2"|Celtic
||rowspan="2"|SPL
||16||1|||1|||0||1||0||3||0||21||1
|-
|2011–12
|||3||0|||0|||0||1||0||3||0||7||0
19||1||1||0||2||0||6||0||28||1
206||18||15||0||2||0||6||0||232||19
|}
, who is regarded as the best football player in Korean history. Cha reads, writes, and speaks fluent Korean, German and Dutch.
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
club Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
. He can operate as a right back
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
, right winger, or striker. Cha Du-Ri is also the first Korean player that was born outside of Korea to have played in a FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
. Cha's father, Cha Bum-Kun
Cha Bum-Kun
Cha Bum-Kun is a South Korean football manager and former player, nicknamed Tscha Bum in Germany because of his name and his thunderous ball striking ability. In South Korea, Cha is greatly respected for his accomplishments in the Bundesliga and the South Korean national team...
played in the 1986 World Cup
1986 FIFA World Cup
The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
. Cha has also played for one of his father's old clubs, Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt is a German sports club, based in Frankfurt, Hesse that is best known for its association football club.- Club origins :...
. During the third place match of the 2011 AFC Asian Cup
2011 AFC Asian Cup
The 2011 AFC Asian Cup finals were held in Qatar on 7–29 January 2011. It was the fifteenth time the tournament has been held, and the second time it has been hosted by Qatar, the other being the 1988 AFC Asian Cup...
against Uzbekistan, Cha captained the national team in place of the regular Korean captain, Park Ji Sung.
Early life
Cha was born in Germany, when his father Cha Bum-KunCha Bum-Kun
Cha Bum-Kun is a South Korean football manager and former player, nicknamed Tscha Bum in Germany because of his name and his thunderous ball striking ability. In South Korea, Cha is greatly respected for his accomplishments in the Bundesliga and the South Korean national team...
was starring in the German Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
with Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt is a German sports club, based in Frankfurt, Hesse that is best known for its association football club.- Club origins :...
, and spent his childhood in Germany while his father was playing for Frankfurt and later for Bayer Leverkusen.
Club career
Cha started his club career in Germany and had spells with Bayer Leverkusen, Arminia BielefeldArminia Bielefeld
DSC Arminia Bielefeld is a German sports club from Bielefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia. Arminia offers the sports of football, field hockey, figure skating and cue sports. The club has 11,394 members and the club colours are black, white and blue...
and Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt is a German sports club, based in Frankfurt, Hesse that is best known for its association football club.- Club origins :...
.
Mainz
Before the 2006–07 season kicked off, Cha Du-Ri changed his position from Striker to Right wingback for Mainz1. FSV Mainz 05
1. Fußball- und Sportverein Mainz 05 e. V., usually shortened to 1. FSV Mainz 05, Mainz 05, or simply Mainz, is a 1905 founded German association football club based in Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate. In addition to the football section the 1. FSV Mainz 05 has a handball and table tennis department...
, but throughout the season, he was hampered with a foot injury that prevented him from joining the starting line-up or even getting some playing time.
After the 2006–07 season, Mainz
1. FSV Mainz 05
1. Fußball- und Sportverein Mainz 05 e. V., usually shortened to 1. FSV Mainz 05, Mainz 05, or simply Mainz, is a 1905 founded German association football club based in Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate. In addition to the football section the 1. FSV Mainz 05 has a handball and table tennis department...
were relegated to 2. Fußball-Bundesliga
2. Fußball-Bundesliga
- Changes in division set-up :* Number of clubs: currently 18. From 1974 to 1981 there were two conferences, each of 20 teams. In 1981–91 it had 20...
, and subsequently after, Cha terminated the contract.
Koblenz
During the 2007 off-season, Cha signed a transfer-free contract with KoblenzTuS Koblenz
TuS Koblenz is a German association football club, located in Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate. Fussball Club Deutschland Neuendorf, which was formed in 1911, is viewed as the foundation of the modern club.-Play under the Third Reich:...
in 2. Fußball-Bundesliga
2. Fußball-Bundesliga
- Changes in division set-up :* Number of clubs: currently 18. From 1974 to 1981 there were two conferences, each of 20 teams. In 1981–91 it had 20...
for the 2007–08 season. He also has switched his positions back to right right winger, supporting Striker, and the centre forward position, after his failure to adjust to right wingback for Mainz
1. FSV Mainz 05
1. Fußball- und Sportverein Mainz 05 e. V., usually shortened to 1. FSV Mainz 05, Mainz 05, or simply Mainz, is a 1905 founded German association football club based in Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate. In addition to the football section the 1. FSV Mainz 05 has a handball and table tennis department...
.
Freiburg
After two years Cha left TuS KoblenzTuS Koblenz
TuS Koblenz is a German association football club, located in Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate. Fussball Club Deutschland Neuendorf, which was formed in 1911, is viewed as the foundation of the modern club.-Play under the Third Reich:...
and signed a contract for two years with SC Freiburg
SC Freiburg
Sport-Club Freiburg, commonly known as SC Freiburg, is a German association football club, based in the city of Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg. SC Freiburg has played in the Bundesliga, the top tier of German football, since their promotion in 2009...
.
Celtic
Following interest from CelticCeltic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
, Cha arrived in Glasgow for a medical on 30 June 2010. In an interview regarding the completion of a move to Parkhead, Cha expressed his desire to compete in an Old Firm
Old Firm
The Old Firm is a common collective name for the association football clubs Celtic and Rangers, both based in Glasgow, Scotland.The origin of the term is unclear. One theory has it that the expression derives from Celtic's first game in 1888, which was played against Rangers. However, author,...
derby. Cha signed for Celtic pending approval of a work permit. In doing so he joined up with his national team mate Ki Sung-Yeung.
On 28 July 2010 Cha made his Celtic debut in the UEFA Champions League Third qualifying round against Braga
SC Braga
Sporting Clube de Braga , commonly known as Sporting de Braga or just Braga, is a Portuguese sports club, from the city of Braga. Its football team plays at the AXA Stadium, also known as The Quarry, which was built for UEFA Euro 2004...
, a 3–0 defeat and on 14 August made his SPL debut against Inverness Caledonian Thistle in a 1–0 win over the Highland side. Cha scored his first Celtic goal against St Johnstone in the SPL on 26 December 2010.
International career
Cha was noticed by coach Guus HiddinkGuus Hiddink
Guus Hiddink is a Dutch football manager and former player. He was the most recently manager of the Turkish national football team. He is considered to be one of the best managers of his generation and was the best-paid coach in international football in 2009...
when the national team played a practice match against Korea University
Korea University
Korea University is a prestigious nonsectarian, private research university located primarily in Seoul, South Korea, and one of the SKY universities, a historical acronym used in South Korea to refer to Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University. Founded by Lee Yong-ik in...
. Strong, aggressive and pacey, he was still playing amateur football when he made his debut for the South Korea national team in 2001.
2002 World Cup
Cha was included in the South Korea football team for 2002 World Cup2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
, even though his playing time was limited to off-the-bench appearances. South Korea surprised the football world by advancing to the semi-finals of the tournament, beating the likes of Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
and Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
along the way. Their fairy-tale run ended in the semi-finals when they were eliminated after losing 1–0 to Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
, with Michael Ballack
Michael Ballack
Michael Ballack is a German professional footballer, who is currently playing for Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen. He is among the top goal scorers in the history of his international team. Ballack has worn the number 13 shirt for every team he has played for except for Kaiserslautern...
netting the only goal.
2006 World Cup
Cha was left off Korea's roster for the 2006 World Cup2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, and instead acted as a colour commentator
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
for MBC's
Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation
Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC (Hangul : 문화방송주식회사, Munhwa Bangsong Jushikoesa) is one of four major national South Korean television and radio networks. Munhwa is the Korean word for "culture". Its flagship terrestrial television...
live telecasts of the tournament's games alongside his father.
Pim Verbeek, South Korea's head coach, added him into his squad for the qualification of the 2007 Asian Cup
2007 AFC Asian Cup
The Asian Football Confederation's 2007 AFC Asian Cup finals were held from July 7 to July 29, 2007. For the first time in its history, the competition was co-hosted by four nations: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. The tournament was won by first-time champions Iraq, who defeated Saudi...
. On 14 October 2009, Cha was called back to international duty against Senegal
Senegal national football team
The Senegal national football team, nicknamed the Lions of Teranga, is the national team of Senegal and is controlled by the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football...
. It was the first time Cha had been selected for the Korean national team since late 2006.
2010 World Cup
In the 2010 World Cup2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
, Cha played as an attacking right-back during the first half of the game against Greece, venturing forward and providing an attacking threat on the right side. During the second half, South Korea were leading so he stayed back in a more defensive role for his side. He did not take part in the following qualifying match against Argentina and South Korea lost 4–1. He was influential in the next match draw against Nigeria. On 26 June, Cha played his 50th game for South Korea in a 1–2 loss against Uruguay
Uruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
.
Club statistics
|-|2002–03||Arminia Bielefeld
Arminia Bielefeld
DSC Arminia Bielefeld is a German sports club from Bielefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia. Arminia offers the sports of football, field hockey, figure skating and cue sports. The club has 11,394 members and the club colours are black, white and blue...
||Fußball-Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
||21||1||2||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||23||1
|-
|2003–04||rowspan="3"|Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt is a German sports club, based in Frankfurt, Hesse that is best known for its association football club.- Club origins :...
||Fußball-Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
||31||1||2||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||33||1
|-
|2004–05||2. Fußball-Bundesliga
2. Fußball-Bundesliga
- Changes in division set-up :* Number of clubs: currently 18. From 1974 to 1981 there were two conferences, each of 20 teams. In 1981–91 it had 20...
||29||8||3||1||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||32||9
|-
|2005–06||Fußball-Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
||27||3||3||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||30||3
|-
|2006–07||Mainz
1. FSV Mainz 05
1. Fußball- und Sportverein Mainz 05 e. V., usually shortened to 1. FSV Mainz 05, Mainz 05, or simply Mainz, is a 1905 founded German association football club based in Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate. In addition to the football section the 1. FSV Mainz 05 has a handball and table tennis department...
||Fußball-Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
||12||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||13||0
|-
|2007–08||rowspan="2"|Koblenz
TuS Koblenz
TuS Koblenz is a German association football club, located in Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate. Fussball Club Deutschland Neuendorf, which was formed in 1911, is viewed as the foundation of the modern club.-Play under the Third Reich:...
||rowspan="2"|2. Fußball-Bundesliga
2. Fußball-Bundesliga
- Changes in division set-up :* Number of clubs: currently 18. From 1974 to 1981 there were two conferences, each of 20 teams. In 1981–91 it had 20...
||28||1||0||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||28||1
|-
|2008–09||33||2||1||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||34||2
|-
|2009–10
2009–10 Fußball-Bundesliga
The 2009–10 Fußball-Bundesliga was the 47th season of the Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's premier football league. The season commenced on 7 August 2009 with the traditional season opening match involving the defending champions VfL Wolfsburg and VfB Stuttgart. The last games were played on 8 May 2010...
||Freiburg
SC Freiburg
Sport-Club Freiburg, commonly known as SC Freiburg, is a German association football club, based in the city of Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg. SC Freiburg has played in the Bundesliga, the top tier of German football, since their promotion in 2009...
||Fußball-Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
||23||1||2||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||25||1
|-
187||17||14||1||0||0||0||0||204||18
|-
|2010–11
2010–11 Scottish Premier League
The 2010–11 Scottish Premier League was the thirteenth season of the Scottish Premier League, the highest division of Scottish football. It commenced on 14 August 2010 and ended on 15 May 2011...
||rowspan="2"|Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
||rowspan="2"|SPL
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
||16||1|||1|||0||1||0||3||0||21||1
|-
|2011–12
2011–12 Scottish Premier League
The 2011–12 Scottish Premier League is the fourteenth season of the Scottish Premier League, the highest division of Scottish football, since its inception in 1998. The season started on 23 July 2011....
|||3||0|||0|||0||1||0||3||0||7||0
19||1||1||0||2||0||6||0||28||1
206||18||15||0||2||0||6||0||232||19
|}
International goals
- Results list South Korea's goal tally first
Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 20 April 2002 Daegu DaeguDaegu , also known as Taegu, and officially the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea, the fourth largest after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon, and the third largest metropolitan area in the country with over 2.5 million residents. The city is the capital and principal city of the...
1 goal 2–0 Friendly match 18 February 2004 Suwon SuwonSuwon is the provincial capital of Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. A major city of over a million inhabitants, Suwon lies approximately south of Seoul. It is traditionally known as "The City of Filial Piety"....
1 goal 2–0 2006 World Cup qualification 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC)Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for Asia.44 Asian teams are affiliated with FIFA, but Cambodia, Philippines, Bhutan and Brunei decided not to take part, and Myanmar was banned from the competition, so a total of 39 teams took part, competing...14 July 2004 Seoul SeoulSeoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
1 goal 1–1 Friendly match 27 July 2004 Jinan JinanJinan is the capital of Shandong province in Eastern China. The area of present-day Jinan has played an important role in the history of the region from the earliest beginnings of civilisation and has evolved into a major national administrative, economic, and transportation hub...
1 goal 4–0 2004 Asian Cup 2004 AFC Asian CupThe 2004 AFC Asian Cup football competition is the thirteenth staging of AFC Asian Cup. It was held from July 17 to August 7, 2004 in China. The defending champions Japan defeated China in the final in Beijing....
Personal life
Cha married his wife Shin Hye-Sung (신혜성) in 2008. Their daughter was born in February 2010. He is the son of Cha Bum-KunCha Bum-Kun
Cha Bum-Kun is a South Korean football manager and former player, nicknamed Tscha Bum in Germany because of his name and his thunderous ball striking ability. In South Korea, Cha is greatly respected for his accomplishments in the Bundesliga and the South Korean national team...
, who is regarded as the best football player in Korean history. Cha reads, writes, and speaks fluent Korean, German and Dutch.