Koffi Ndri Romaric
Encyclopedia
Christian Koffi Ndri commonly known as Romaric, is an Ivorian
footballer who plays as a midfielder
for RCD Espanyol
, on loan from Sevilla FC
, and the Côte d'Ivoire national team
. A goalscoring midfielder who can also play in a defensive role, Romaric is classed as a playmaker.
, before moving on to ASEC's European feeder club, K.S.K. Beveren
in 2003.
. However, in August 2005 he was involved in a serious car accident, fracturing his collar bone and taking a blow to the head close to the town of Liège
in Belgium. He quickly recovered from his injuries and established himself in the Le Mans starting eleven. In November 2006, following an impressive start to the 2006–07 Ligue 1 campaign, it was reported that Paris Saint-Germain were interested in signing him as a midfield replacement for the departed Vikash Dhorasoo in the January transfer window. At Le Mans, he played alongside his compatriot Gervinho
who had also joined the club from Beveren.
side Sevilla FC
were interested in signing Romaric, where he would link up with compatriot Arouna Koné
. On 23 June 2008, Sevilla bought Romaric from Le Mans, paying a fee believed to be more than €8 millon. Romaric signed a five-year contract with a €30m buyout clause included in the deal. He scored his first goal in the 4–3 victory against Real Madrid
on 7 December 2008. His second goal came in a 1–2 home loss against Racing Santander
.
on a season-long loan at the end of the summer transfer window
on 31 August 2011. Included in the agreement was an option to make the transfer permanent at the end of the 2011–12 season, with Romaric signing a three-year contract.
, and was called up for the 2006 World Cup
, where he made one appearance in the 2–1 defeat to Holland. He also played for the Elephants in their 2006 Africa Cup of Nations campaign, where the team eventually lost in the final to hosts Egypt.
He scored his first goal in the first minute of the Ivorians' first 2010 World Cup qualification
match in a 5–0 win over Malawi
on 29 March 2009. His second was the winner in the next qualifying game against Guinea
on 7 June 2009, which the Elephants won 2–1. His third international goal came during a Group G
match against Korea DPR played at Mbombela Stadium
during the World Cup
.
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
footballer who plays as a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
for RCD Espanyol
RCD Espanyol
Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. It is best known for its football team. Espanyol currently play in the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat with seats for 40,500 spectators. It was inaugurated on 2 August 2009...
, on loan from Sevilla FC
Sevilla FC
Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...
, and the Côte d'Ivoire national team
Côte d'Ivoire national football team
The Côte d'Ivoire National Football Team or Ivory Coast National Football Team, nicknamed Les Éléphants , represents Côte d'Ivoire in international football and is controlled by the Fédération Ivoirienne de Football...
. A goalscoring midfielder who can also play in a defensive role, Romaric is classed as a playmaker.
Early years
Like many players of Ivorian descent, he started his career at the famed youth academy at homeland club ASEC MimosasASEC Mimosas
The Académie Sportive des Employés de Commerce Mimosas is an Ivorian football club based in Abidjan. The club is also known as ASEC Mimosas Abidjan and ASEC Abidjan, especially in international club competitions. Founded in 1948, they are the most successful side in Ivorian football, having won...
, before moving on to ASEC's European feeder club, K.S.K. Beveren
K.S.K. Beveren
Koninklijke Sportkring Beveren was a Belgian association football club from the town of Beveren in East Flanders. It was famous for its goalkeeping school that has produced such players as Jean-Marie Pfaff, Filip De Wilde, Geert De Vlieger, Erwin Lemmens, and Tristan Peersman, all of whom have...
in 2003.
Le Mans
In May 2005 he joined French Ligue 1 club Le MansLe Mans UC72
Le Mans Football Club is a French association football club based in Le Mans. The club was founded in 1985 as a result of a merger under the name Le Mans Union Club 72. In 2010, Le Mans changed its name to Le Mans FC to coincide with the re-modeling of the club, which includes moving into a new...
. However, in August 2005 he was involved in a serious car accident, fracturing his collar bone and taking a blow to the head close to the town of Liège
Liège
Liège is a major city and municipality of Belgium located in the province of Liège, of which it is the economic capital, in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium....
in Belgium. He quickly recovered from his injuries and established himself in the Le Mans starting eleven. In November 2006, following an impressive start to the 2006–07 Ligue 1 campaign, it was reported that Paris Saint-Germain were interested in signing him as a midfield replacement for the departed Vikash Dhorasoo in the January transfer window. At Le Mans, he played alongside his compatriot Gervinho
Gervinho
Gervais Yao Kouassi , more commonly known as Gervinho, is an Ivorian footballer who plays as a forwardor as a winger for English Premier League club Arsenal.-Youth career:...
who had also joined the club from Beveren.
Sevilla
In May 2008, it was reported that Spanish La LigaLa Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
side Sevilla FC
Sevilla FC
Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...
were interested in signing Romaric, where he would link up with compatriot Arouna Koné
Arouna Koné
Arouna Koné is an Ivorian footballer who plays for Levante UD on loan from Sevilla FC in Spain, as a striker.-Early years:Born in Anyama, Koné started his football career with Rio Sport d'Anyama, a club based in his hometown...
. On 23 June 2008, Sevilla bought Romaric from Le Mans, paying a fee believed to be more than €8 millon. Romaric signed a five-year contract with a €30m buyout clause included in the deal. He scored his first goal in the 4–3 victory against Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
on 7 December 2008. His second goal came in a 1–2 home loss against Racing Santander
Racing de Santander
Real Racing Club de Santander, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Santander, in the autonomous community of Cantabria. Founded in 1913, it currently plays in La Liga, holding home games at Estadio El Sardinero, with a capacity for 22,400 spectators....
.
Espanyol
Romaric joined RCD EspanyolRCD Espanyol
Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. It is best known for its football team. Espanyol currently play in the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat with seats for 40,500 spectators. It was inaugurated on 2 August 2009...
on a season-long loan at the end of the summer transfer window
Transfer window
The transfer window is the period during the year in which a football club can transfer players from other countries into their playing staff. Such a transfer is completed by registering the player into the new club through FIFA...
on 31 August 2011. Included in the agreement was an option to make the transfer permanent at the end of the 2011–12 season, with Romaric signing a three-year contract.
International career
He plays for the Côte d'Ivoire national teamCôte d'Ivoire national football team
The Côte d'Ivoire National Football Team or Ivory Coast National Football Team, nicknamed Les Éléphants , represents Côte d'Ivoire in international football and is controlled by the Fédération Ivoirienne de Football...
, and was called up for the 2006 World Cup
2006 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...
, where he made one appearance in the 2–1 defeat to Holland. He also played for the Elephants in their 2006 Africa Cup of Nations campaign, where the team eventually lost in the final to hosts Egypt.
He scored his first goal in the first minute of the Ivorians' first 2010 World Cup qualification
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
The qualification competition for the 2010 FIFA World Cup was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations. Each confederation — the AFC , CAF , CONCACAF , CONMEBOL , OFC , and UEFA — was allocated a certain number of the 32 places at the tournament...
match in a 5–0 win over Malawi
Malawi national football team
The Malawi national football team, nicknamed The Flames, is the national team of Malawi and is controlled by the Football Association of Malawi. Before 1966 they were known as the Nyasaland national football team...
on 29 March 2009. His second was the winner in the next qualifying game against Guinea
Guinea national football team
The Guinea national football team, nicknamed Syli national , is the national team of Guinea and is controlled by the Fédération Guinéenne de Football. They have never qualified for the World Cup finals, and their best finish in the African Nations Cup was second in the 1976...
on 7 June 2009, which the Elephants won 2–1. His third international goal came during a Group G
2010 FIFA World Cup Group G
Group G of the 2010 FIFA World Cup began on 15 June and ended on 25 June 2010. The group consisted of reigning South American champions Brazil, Korea DPR, Côte d'Ivoire and Portugal. This group, along with Group D, was labeled a group of death....
match against Korea DPR played at Mbombela Stadium
Mbombela Stadium
Mbombela Stadium is a newly built, all-seater, 40,929-seat stadium and was one of the ten venues for the FIFA World Cup 2010. It is located on open land six kilometres west of Nelspruit, South Africa, the capital of the Mpumalanga province....
during the World Cup
2010 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...
.
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 29 March 2009 | Ouagadougou Ouagadougou Ouagadougou is the capital of Burkina Faso and the administrative, communications, cultural and economic center of the nation. It is also the country's largest city, with a population of 1,475,223 . The city's name is often shortened to Ouaga. The inhabitants are called ouagalais... , Burkina Faso Burkina Faso Burkina Faso – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.Its size is with an estimated... |
1–0 | 5–0 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 2. | 7 June 2009 | Konakry, Guinea Guinea Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures... |
2–1 | 2–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 3. | 25 June 2010 | Nelspruit Nelspruit Nelspruit is a city of more than 500,000 people situated in northeastern South Africa. It is the capital of the Mpumalanga province . Located on the Crocodile River, Nelspruit lies about west of the Mozambique border and east of Johannesburg. The towns of Nelspruit are Kanyamazane and Pienaar... , South Africa South Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans... |
2–0 | 3–0 | 2010 FIFA World Cup 2010 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... |
|
| 4. | 9 October 2010 | Bujumbura Bujumbura -Education:The University of Burundi is located in Bujumbura.Hope Africa University is located in BujumburaUniversité du Lac Tanganyika is located in Bujumbura-External links:**... , Burundi Burundi Burundi , officially the Republic of Burundi , is a landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Its capital is Bujumbura... |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |