Nacer Chadli (born 2 August 1989) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Belgian Pro League club Westerlo.

Nacer Chadli
Chadli with Belgium at the 2018 World Cup
Personal information
Full name Nacer Chadli[1]
Date of birth (1989-08-02) 2 August 1989 (age 34)[2]
Place of birth Liège, Belgium
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)[3]
Position(s) Attacking midfielder, Winger
Team information
Current team
Westerlo
Number 89
Youth career
1994–1998 JS Thier-à-Liège
1998–2005 Standard Liège
2005–2007 MVV Maastricht
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2010 AGOVV Apeldoorn 90 (28)
2010–2013 Twente 84 (25)
2013–2016 Tottenham Hotspur 88 (15)
2016–2018 West Bromwich Albion 36 (6)
2018–2020 Monaco 16 (0)
2019–2020Anderlecht (loan) 17 (8)
2020–2023 İstanbul Başakşehir 47 (5)
2022–2023Westerlo (loan) 27 (6)
2023– Westerlo 6 (0)
International career
2010 Morocco 1 (0)
2011–2021 Belgium 66 (8)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Belgium
FIFA World Cup
Third place 2018
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:43, 13 October 2023 (UTC)

Chadli began his career in the Eerste Divisie with AGOVV Apeldoorn, and in 2010, was transferred to top-flight FC Twente, where he won the KNVB Cup in his first season. In 2013, he joined Tottenham Hotspur, and three years later signed for West Bromwich Albion for a club-record £13 million.

Chadli played internationally for Morocco in 2010 as his father is of Moroccan descent,[4][5] but switched allegiance to Belgium the following year. He has earned over sixty caps for Belgium and represented the nation at the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and 2018, as well as at UEFA Euro 2020.

Club career edit

Apeldoorn edit

Chadli played his youth football at JS Thier-à-Liège, Standard Liège and MVV Maastricht. In the summer of 2007, he was contracted by Dutch second division club AGOVV Apeldoorn, who scouted him at MVV's youth academy. Here he was considered an emerging talent. While Chadli was being tested by AGOVV, he went under the alias "Kaliffe", because technical manager Ted van Leeuwen was afraid other clubs would show their interest.[6] Chadli scored his first goal in professional football for AGOVV in a match against FC Volendam.

Twente edit

 
Chadli playing for Twente in 2011

In the summer of 2010, Chadli signed with FC Twente, and in the ensuing season became a first team player for the then reigning Eredivisie champions.[7] His first Eredivisie goal was the winning one away at title rivals PSV.[8] He made his European and Champions League debut in a 2–2 home draw against Internazionale on 14 September in the competition's group stage.[9] On 29 September, he scored his first Champions League goal away at Tottenham Hotspur (4–1),[10] and on 2 November scored his second at Werder Bremen in a 0–2 away victory.[11] He later scored again in the Champions League against Tottenham from a free-kick on 7 December, the goal securing a draw for Twente at home, 3–3.

Tottenham Hotspur edit

 
Chadli playing for Tottenham Hotspur in 2013

On 21 July 2013, Tottenham Hotspur agreed a deal with Twente to sign Chadli for a transfer fee of £7 million.[12] The club confirmed that subject to agreement of personal terms and a medical, Chadli would join the Spurs squad for pre-season training in Hong Kong.[13] On 23 July, the club confirmed that Chadli had joined the squad which was participating in training sessions prior to the club taking part in the 2013 Premier League Asia Trophy.[14] Chadli finally agreed terms on 26 July and became an official Tottenham player, later making his Spurs debut in a 5–2 friendly defeat to AS Monaco on 3 August.[15] He made his Premier League debut on 18 August, the first match of the 2013–14 season, against Crystal Palace in a 1–0 win,[16] then scored his first Premier League goal on 12 February 2014, a 0–4 win away to Newcastle United.[17]

On 24 August 2014, the second matchday of the 2014–15 season, Chadli scored twice as Tottenham defeated Queens Park Rangers 4–0 at home.[18] This was the start of a run of good form for Chadli, who went on to score several goals, including one against Tottenham's North London rivals Arsenal. The run of form, however, was cut short by injury, and before he could return to form, tragedy struck his family after his father died.[19] Chadli slowly returned to form, scoring two goals in two matches against Newcastle United and Southampton, respectively, in late April to take his season total to 12, ten in the Premier League. Chadli increased his tally to 11 Premier League goals by rounding the goalkeeper in a 2–0 victory against Hull City on 16 May 2015.

West Bromwich Albion edit

On 29 August 2016, West Bromwich Albion agreed a deal with Tottenham Hotspur to sign Chadli for a club-record transfer fee of £13 million.[20] He made his debut in a 1–0 defeat to Bournemouth.[21] Chadli scored twice and got two assists on his home debut, only his second league appearance for the club which ended as a 4–2 win over West Ham United.[22]

In 2017–18, Chadli was troubled by recurring thigh injuries and made only three appearances by the end of April in a West Bromwich Albion side that was eventually relegated.[23] Totalling five appearances, he scored once, a free kick in a 1–1 draw at Leicester City on 16 October 2017.[24]

Monaco edit

On 30 August 2018, Monaco announced the signing of Chadli on a three-year deal.[25] They paid more than €12 million to West Bromwich Albion to secure the services of the multipurpose midfielder. At the club he was united with fellow Belgium national team player, Youri Tielemans. Chadli competed in the Champions League with Monaco. In Ligue 1, however, he had an unsuccessful season, as Monaco struggled against relegation from the league throughout the competition, only securing it at the end of the season. At Monaco, Chadli played only 1,058 minutes and neither scored a goal or made an assist in all competitions.[26]

Loan to Anderlecht edit

On 11 August 2019, Chadli joined Anderlecht on a season-long loan from Monaco after having been sidetracked at the French club.[27] Player-manager Vincent Kompany was able to persuade Chadli in coming to the Belgian First Division A. After Kompany and Simon Mignolet, he was the third Belgian international to return to Belgium to play.[28] Anderlecht took over his entire contract (more than € 230,000 gross per month) from Chadli at Monaco.[29] With the experienced Chadli, and a number of other experienced signings, Anderlecht wanted to invest to lift their youngsters to a higher level.[30][31]

On 17 August 2019, he made his debut for Anderlecht in a 4–2 loss to Kortrijk. The match also marked his debut in the highest Belgian division, which he had left at the age of 17. Despite his injury problems, Chadli was one of the highlights of the club that season. He managed to score eight goals and give five assists in 17 league appearances.[26] However, Anderlecht did not sign him on a permanent deal as the loan expired, as the club did not have the finances.[32]

İstanbul Başakşehir edit

On 10 September 2020, Chadli moved to Turkish club Istanbul Basaksehir.[32] He signed a two-year contract with the club, and was assigned jersey number 11.[33] Başakşehir were the defending Süper Lig champions and had thus qualified directly for the group stage of the Champions League. At the point of signing, he still had one year left of his deal with Monaco, but did not have any prospects of playing time there. At the club, he was reunited with a number of fellow former Premier League players, including Martin Škrtel and Demba Ba.[34]

On 8 November, Chadli made his first appearance for Başakşehir, in a league match against Gençlerbirliği, after having been injured during the first two months of his tenure at the club. He came on as a substitute for Deniz Türüç in the 79th minute, as Başakşehir were down 0–1. Chadli went on to contribute heavily to his club's win, giving two assists as the team turned around the game to secure a 2–1.[35]

Westerlo edit

On 6 September 2022, Chadli joined Belgian Pro League club Westerlo on a season-long loan.[36] On 18 August 2023, Chadli returned to Westerlo on a permanent basis with a one-season contract.[37]

International career edit

 
Chadli lining up for Belgium in 2011

A dual citizen of Belgium and Morocco, Chadli was thus able to represent either nation. He made his debut for Morocco on 17 November 2010, in a 1–1 friendly draw against Northern Ireland at Windsor Park,[38] and was named man of the match.[39] On 28 January 2011, however, he announced his intention to represent Belgium at the international level, which was permitted because he had not yet played in a competitive match for Morocco. He made his debut for the Belgian squad for a 9 February friendly match against Finland.[40]

Chadli has played as a striker for the Belgium national team,[41] scoring his first international goal in a UEFA Euro 2012 qualifier against Azerbaijan in the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels on 29 March 2011.

On 26 May 2014, Chadli scored what would have been his third international goal in a pre-2014 World Cup friendly against Luxembourg. The match, however, was later recognised invalid as coach Marc Wilmots had made seven substitutions instead of the permitted six.[42]

On 13 May 2014, Chadli was named to Belgium's squad for the 2014 World Cup.[43] He started in midfield but was substituted at half time for Dries Mertens in the team's first game of the tournament, a 2–1 win over Algeria in Belo Horizonte.[44]

In May 2018 he was named to Belgium's preliminary squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.[45]

On 2 July 2018, Chadli came off the bench to score the winning goal in injury time to lift Belgium to a 3–2 victory over Japan in the round of 16 of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.[46] The goal is chosen by the BBC panel as goal of the tournament in the 2018 World Cup.[47]

Style of play edit

Chadli is a versatile midfielder who can play as an attacking midfielder, in a number 10 role, or as a winger on either flank. He is comfortable on both feet and has a good shot at his disposal.[48]

Career statistics edit

Club edit

As of match played 15 April 2023[49][26]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup[nb 1] League Cup[nb 2] Europe[nb 3] Other[nb 4] Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
AGOVV Apeldoorn 2007–08 Eerste Divisie 19 2 0 0 19 2
2008–09 34 9 0 0 34 9
2009–10 37 17 1 1 2 0 40 18
Total 90 28 1 1 2 0 93 29
Twente 2010–11 Eredivisie 33 7 6 3 11 3 50 13
2011–12 23 6 2 1 8 2 2 0 35 9
2012–13 22 10 2 0 10 6 4 2 38 18
Total 78 23 10 4 29 11 6 2 123 40
Tottenham Hotspur 2013–14 Premier League 24 1 1 0 3 1 6 3 34 5
2014–15 35 11 2 1 3 1 5 0 45 13
2015–16 29 3 4 3 1 0 6 1 40 7
Total 88 15 7 4 7 2 17 4 119 25
West Bromwich Albion 2016–17 Premier League 31 5 1 0 0 0 32 5
2017–18 5 1 0 0 1 0 6 1
Total 36 6 1 0 1 0 38 6
Monaco 2018–19 Ligue 1 16 0 0 0 1 0 5 0 0 0 22 0
Anderlecht (loan) 2019–20 Belgian Pro League 17 8 2 0 0 0 19 8
İstanbul Başakşehir 2020–21 Süper Lig 18 3 1 1 3 0 0 0 22 4
2021–22 28 1 0 0 28 1
2022–23 1 1 1 1
Total 47 5 1 1 3 0 0 0 51 6
Westerlo (loan) 2022–23 Belgian Pro League 21 5 2 0 23 5
Career total 393 90 24 10 9 2 54 15 8 2 488 119
  1. ^ Includes KNVB Cup, FA Cup, Coupe de France, Belgian Cup and Turkish Cup
  2. ^ Includes Football League/EFL Cup and Coupe de la Ligue
  3. ^ Includes UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League
  4. ^ Includes play-off and super cup games

International edit

As of match played 2 July 2021[50]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Belgium 2011 6 1
2012 5 1
2013 7 0
2014 10 2
2015 3 0
2016 2 0
2017 9 1
2018 13 1
2019 4 2
2020 2 0
2021 5 0
Total 66 8
As of 10 October 2019.
Scores and results list Belgium's goal tally first.
List of international goals scored by Nacer Chadli
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1
29 March 2011 King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium   Azerbaijan
3–1
4–1
UEFA Euro 2012 qualification
2
29 February 2012 Pankritio Stadium, Heraklion, Greece   Greece
1–1
1–1
Friendly
3
26 May 2014 Cristal Arena, Genk, Belgium   Luxembourg
4–1
5–1
Friendly
4
10 October 2014 King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium   Andorra
3–0
6–0
UEFA Euro 2016 qualification
5
9 June 2017 A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn, Estonia   Estonia
2–0
2–0
2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
6
2 July 2018 Rostov Arena, Rostov-on-Don, Russia   Japan
3–2
3–2
2018 FIFA World Cup
7
6 September 2019 San Marino Stadium, Serravalle, San Marino   San Marino
3–0
4–0
UEFA Euro 2020 qualification
8
10 October 2019 King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium   San Marino
2–0
9–0
UEFA Euro 2020 qualification

Honours edit

Twente

Tottenham Hotspur

Belgium

References edit

  1. ^ "Nacer Chadli". Turkish Football Federation. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  2. ^ "FIFA World Cup Russia 2018: List of Players: Belgium" (PDF). FIFA. 15 July 2018. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 June 2019.
  3. ^ "Nacer Chadli". Eurosport. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  4. ^ "World Cup: Moroccan-Belgians Fellaini and Chadli Take Belgium to Quarterfinals". Morocco World News. 3 July 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  5. ^ Mulvenney, Nick. "'Winners' Fellaini, Chadli keep African interest alive". Reuters. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  6. ^ Nacer Chadli profile at Atlas-Lions Archived 18 July 2011 at archive.today (Dutch)
  7. ^ "FC Twente swoop for Rosales and Chadli – Soccer News". soccernews.com. 31 July 2010.
  8. ^ "PSV - PSV - FC Twente (30-10-2010)". Archived from the original on 23 August 2010. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
  9. ^ "FC Twente 2 Inter Milan 2: match report". The Daily Telegraph. London. 14 September 2010.
  10. ^ Liew, Jonathan (29 September 2010). "Tottenham Hotspur v FC Twente: as it happened". The Daily Telegraph. London.
  11. ^ "Werder Bremen vs. FC Twente – Football Match Report – November 2, 2010 – ESPN". ESPNFC.com.
  12. ^ Chadli Deal Agreed, Tottenham Hotspur F.C., 21 July 2013
  13. ^ "Chadli deal agreed". THFC. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  14. ^ "Spurs in HK – Nacer trains with the squad". THFC. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  15. ^ On 25 September, he scored his first goal for Tottenham in a 4–0 League Cup victory over Aston Villa Chadli Deal Agreed, Tottenham Hotspur F.C., 26 July 2013
  16. ^ "Yahoo UK & Ireland – Sports News – Live Scores – Results". Yahoo Sports.
  17. ^ "Newcastle United 0–4 Tottenham" BBC Sport. 12 February 2014. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
  18. ^ Fifield, Dominic (24 August 2014). "Tottenham give Harry Redknapp unhappy homecoming with QPR defeat". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
  19. ^ Alan Smith (27 March 2015). "Nacer Chadli puts difficult times behind him with help from Belgium team-mates". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
  20. ^ "West Bromwich Albion confirm signing of Belgium international Nacer Chadli from Tottenham Hotspur". West Bromwich Albion F.C. 29 August 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  21. ^ "Bournemouth 1–0 West Bromwich Albion-BBC Sport". www.bbc.co.uk/sport. 10 September 2016. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  22. ^ "Nicer Chadli's double helps West Brom romp to 4–2 win over West Ham". The Guardian. 17 September 2016. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  23. ^ Thomas, Lyall (11 April 2018). "Nacer Chadli set for long-awaited West Brom return against Manchester United". Sky Sports. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  24. ^ Johnston, Neil (16 October 2017). "Leicester City 1–1 West Bromwich Albion". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  25. ^ "Nacer Chadli to AS Monaco". Monaco. 30 August 2018. Archived from the original on 4 October 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  26. ^ a b c "Belgium – N. Chadli". Soccerway. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  27. ^ "Welcome Nacer Chadli!". Anderlecht. 11 August 2019. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
  28. ^ "Ook Nacer Chadli komt het Anderlecht van Kompany versterken". sporza.be (in Dutch). 11 August 2019. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  29. ^ "Tot 230.000 euro bruto per maand: Anderlecht neemt contract Chadli bij Monaco integraal over". Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). 12 August 2019. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  30. ^ Walckiers, Johan (13 August 2019). "Nacer Chadli weet dat hij ook de jeugd van Anderlecht zal moeten begeleiden". voetbalkrant.com (in Dutch). Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  31. ^ Calcoen, Pieter-Jan (11 August 2019). "Chadli trekt voor één jaar naar Anderlecht: "Nacer maakt het team compleet"". Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). Retrieved 27 December 2020. "We werkten de afgelopen maanden hard aan de opbouw van de ploeg. We zetten volop in op de jeugd, maar investeren ook in een aantal ervaren spelers om de jongeren naar een hoger niveau te tillen. Chadli is daar één van", legt sportief directeur Michael Verschueren uit.
  32. ^ a b "Nacer Chadli trekt naar Turkije en kiest voor kampioen Başakşehir". Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). 10 September 2020. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  33. ^ "Football: Nacer Chadli joins Medipol Basaksehir". 10 September 2020. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  34. ^ "Nacer Chadli ruilt Monaco voor de Turkse landskampioen Basaksehir". sporza.be (in Dutch). 10 September 2020. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  35. ^ Van Gael, Hannes (9 November 2020). "Nacer Chadli trekt med 2 assists op zak naar de Rode Duivels". voetbalkrant.com (in Dutch). Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  36. ^ "Welkom Nacer Chadli". K.V.C. Westerlo. 6 September 2022. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
  37. ^ "Welcome back Nacer". Westerlo. 18 August 2023. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  38. ^ "Northern Ireland 1–1 Morocco". BBC Sport. 17 November 2010. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  39. ^ "Moroccan international Chadli pledges future to Belgium". BBC Sport. 4 February 2011. Retrieved 6 February 2011.
  40. ^ "Chadli kiest voor België". De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 28 January 2010. Retrieved 29 January 2010.
  41. ^ "Nacer Chadli completes Tottenham switch after passing medical and agreeing terms". Sky Sports. 26 July 2013. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
  42. ^ "Adnan Januzaj's Belgium debut wiped from record books". BBC Sport. 4 June 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  43. ^ "Adnan Januzaj included in Belgium's World Cup squad". BBC Sport. 13 May 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2014.
  44. ^ Chowdhury, Saj (17 June 2014). "Belgium 2–1 Algeria". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  45. ^ "World Cup 2018: Belgium announce initial 28-man squad for Russia". The Independent. 21 May 2018. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  46. ^ "Live blog". fifa.com. FIFA. 2 July 2018. Archived from the original on 28 June 2018. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  47. ^ "World Cup goal of the tournament". bbc.com. BBC. 16 July 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  48. ^ George, Joseph (23 July 2013). "Tottenham Transfers – Who Is Nacer Chadli?". The Hard Tackle. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  49. ^ "Nacer Chadli » Club matches". WorldFootball.net. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  50. ^ "Nacer Chadli". EU-Football.info. 1 July 2018.
  51. ^ "2011: FC TWENTE SLAAT DE EERSTE SLAG". totoknvbbeker.nl. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  52. ^ McNulty, Phil (1 March 2015). "Chelsea 2–0 Tottenham Hotspur". BBC Sport. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  53. ^ "Belgium 2–0 England: Line-ups". FIFA. Archived from the original on 12 July 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2019.

External links edit