Bakery Jatta
{{MOS|date=April 2023}}{{short description|Gambian footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Bakery Jatta
| fullname = Bakery Jatta
| image = 2025-05-16 Hamburger SV Bakery Jatta.jpg
| caption = Jatta in 2025 playing for Hamburger SV
| height = 1.84 m
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1998|6|6}}
| birth_place = Gunjur, Gambia
| position = Midfielder
| currentclub = Hamburger SV
| clubnumber = 18
| years1 = 2016–2019
| clubs1 = Hamburger SV II
| caps1 = 38
| goals1 = 20
| years2 = 2016–
| clubs2 = Hamburger SV
| caps2 = 196
| goals2 = 25
| club-update = 23 May 2025
| upright =
}}
Bakery Jatta (born 6 June 1998) is a Gambian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Bundesliga club Hamburger SV.{{cite web |url=http://www.worldfootball.net/player_summary/bakery-jatta/ |title=Bakery Jatta |website=worldfootball.net |publisher=HEIM:SPIEL |access-date=16 April 2017}}{{Cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/bakery-jatta/454680/|title=Gambia - B. Jatta - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway|website=int.soccerway.com}}
Club career
Jatta signed for Hamburger SV in 2016, choosing HSV over rivals SV Werder Bremen. He initially played for the reserves in the Regionalliga Nord, before making his first team debut in a Bundesliga match against Bremen in April 2017, becoming the first refugee to play in the Bundesliga. He made 6 first-team appearances in his first season.{{Cite web |date=2017-06-06 |title=The incredible story of Bundesliga refugee Bakery Jatta {{!}} Goal.com |url=https://www.goal.com/en/news/the-incredible-story-of-bundesliga-refugee-bakery-jatta/iylkwno5ozh21dmkcjrclp8r9 |access-date=2024-01-17 |website=goal.com |language=en}}
In the 2017–18 season, Hamburg were relegated to the 2. Bundesliga for the first time in their history. In their first 2. Bundesliga season, Jatta became a regular in the first team and scored his first professional goal against FC Erzgebirge Aue in November 2018, causing interest from other clubs.{{Cite web |date=2018-12-04 |title=Zweite Bundesliga: Jatta startet durch beim HSV – WELT |url=https://www.welt.de/regionales/hamburg/article184930966/Zweite-Bundesliga-Jatta-startet-durch-beim-HSV.html |access-date=2024-01-17 |website=DIE WELT |language=de}} In January 2019, he signed a new five-year contract with Hamburg.{{Cite web |title=HSV und Bakery Jatta verlängern Vertrag bis 2024 |url=https://www.hsv.de/news/hsv-und-bakery-jatta-verlaengern-vertrag-bis-2024 |access-date=2024-01-17 |website=HSV.de |language=en}}
In January 2024 Jatta was linked with a transfer to FC Augsburg and Werder Bremen at the end of his contract in summer; however, he again signed a new five-year contract in Hamburg, expiring in 2029.{{Cite web |last=Braasch |first=Simon |date=2024-01-03 |title=Jattas Abschied rückt näher – Gerüchte ausgerechnet um Erzrivalen (M+) |url=https://www.mopo.de/sport/hsv/jattas-abschied-rueckt-naeher-geruechte-ausgerechnet-um-erzrivalen/ |access-date=2024-01-17 |website=MOPO |language=de-DE}}{{Cite web |title=HSV extend Bakery Jatta's contract until 2029 |url=https://www.hsv.de/en/hsv-extend-bakery-jattas-contract-until-2029 |access-date=2024-01-17 |website=HSV.de |language=en}} Jatta is currently the second-longest serving player at HSV, behind reserve goalkeeper Tom Mickel.
International career
Jatta was called up by Gambia national team in October 2019.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50167327|title=Hamburg's former refugee Bakery Jatta gets Gambia call-up|work=BBC Sport |date=24 October 2019}} He pulled out of the squad in November 2019, saying he wished to concentrate on his club career.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50289063|title=Hamburg's Bakery Jatta excuses himself from Gambia squad|work=BBC Sport |date=4 November 2019}}
Personal life and identity dispute
Jatta is said to have come to Germany in 2015 as a refugee. However, in August 2019, suspicions in the news arose over his identity as according to a German press article by Sport Bild his real name was speculated to be Bakery Daffeh and his age was speculated to be older.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49276842|title=Bakery Jatta: Hamburg midfielder's identity investigated by German FA|date=9 August 2019|website=BBC Sport|accessdate=27 August 2019}} Initially, neither the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees nor the local Hamburg authorities were able to confirm nor deny Jatta's identity. Subsequent news stories, however, have cast doubts on the Sport Bild report.{{cite news |title=Neue Zeugen und brisante Videos entlasten Bakery Jatta |url=https://www.abendblatt.de/sport/fussball/hsv/article226921783/HSV-Bakery-Jatta-Identitaet-Zeugen-Gambia-exklusiv-Video-Casa-Sports-Kuyateh-Diarra-Sane-DFB-Gericht-Urteil-Einspruch-Schickhardt-KSC-1-FCN-Bochum-Punktabzug.html |accessdate=29 August 2019 |work=Hamburger Abendblatt |date=29 August 2019 |language=German}} The Hamburger Abendblatt, on 29 August, reports on a visit from a Bild reporter in Gambia who as it appears may have pretended to be a representative of the German Football Association (DFB) to obtain information in Gambia. According to the same Hamburger Abendblatt report, a witness previously named by the Bild and Sport Bild strongly disagrees that Jatta and Daffeh could be the same person, thus refuting those press claims
On 30 August, German media announced that Hamburger SV has been able to obtain his birth certificate, in addition to Bakery Jatta's passport, and along with it an affidavit by a clerk of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Gambia.{{cite news |title=Durchbruch im Fall Jatta: Gambias Ministerium bestätigt seine Identität |url=https://www.focus.de/sport/fussball/hsv-star-durchbruch-im-fall-jatta-gambias-ministerium-bestaetigt-seine-identitaet_id_11088081.html |accessdate=30 August 2019 |work=Focus (German magazine) |date=30 August 2019 |language=German}} The responsible Hamburg authority then declared on 2 September that they approved the documents Jatta presented to them and that there was no evidence for further investigation. Following this case-closing statement, defeated 1. FC Nürnberg, VFL Bochum and KSC Karlsruhe withdrew their objection against the matches that Jatta played in.{{cite news |title= Bakery Jatta: Bochum, Karlsruhe und Nürnberg ziehen Einspruch gegen HSV-Spiele zurück |url=https://www.sportbuzzer.de/artikel/bakery-jatta-einspruch-urteil-bochum-nurnberg-ksc-hsv-reaktionen/ |accessdate=3 September 2019 |work=www.sportbuzzer.de |date=3 September 2019 |language=German}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49577693|title=Bakery Jatta: German sides withdraw objections over Gambian's eligibility|work=BBC Sport |date=4 September 2019}}
On 19 September 2019, it was reported by Bild/Sport Bild, that Jatta had stated an e-mail address containing the name Bakary Daffeh to the Bremen authorities in 2015. The Sozialzentrum Gröpelingen/Walle (local social authority) submitted a copy of a personal questionnaire filled in by Jatta to the Bremen police, with the remark that there are great inconsistencies.[https://www.bild.de/sport/fussball/fussball/hsv-bakery-jatta-in-seiner-e-mail-adresse-hiess-er-daffeh-64819238.bild.html Jatta hieß in seiner E-Mail-Adresse Daffeh], bild.de, 20 September 2019, retrieved 20 September 2019. Questioned by NDR public broadcaster, the Bremen prosecutor confirmed an examination of this facts. A few weeks later the prosecutor announced that there would be no further proceedings; the case was to be closed from their perspective.[https://www.ndr.de/sport/fussball/Zweite-Bundesliga-Hamburg-HSV-Jatta,jatta144.html Zeitung: Fall Bakery Jatta wohl abgeschlossen], ndr.de, 16 October 2019 Also in October 2019, the CEO of Axel Springer SE (Bild/Sport Bild) publishing house, Mathias Döpfner, criticised the long duration of the investigation, and that most of the media would be "systematically" ignoring the case. He mentioned the Jatta case as an example why hatred grew in parts of the population. Subsequently, the connection of the case to the Halle synagogue shooting that he made was subject to criticism."If the HSV player Bakery Jatta is actually called Bakary Daffeh and is two years older than he says, then the police investigation takes longer than four years and journalists systematically look away...", [https://hsv24.mopo.de/2019/10/11/doepfner.html Terror in Halle: Axel-Springer-Boss stellt Zusammenhang mit Jatta her], mopo.de, 11 October 2019
In the first days of July 2020 Jatta's Hamburg home was searched by the police under the suspicion of violation of the German residence act,[https://sportbild.bild.de/fussball/2-liga/2-bundesliga/bakery-jatta-hsv-star-hausdurchsuchung-verstoss-aufenthaltsgesetz-71638880.sport.html Hausdurchsuchung bei HSV-Star Jatta], sportbild.bild.de, 2 July 2020, retrieved 2 Juli 2020. because he is suspected of having made false claims regarding his identity. According to the Hamburg prosecutor, the investigations had shown that Jatta had maintained contact with persons connected to Daffeh. His cell phone and other devices were seized.{{Cite web |url=https://www.n-tv.de/sport/fussball/Ermittler-durchsuchen-Wohnung-von-Jatta-article21885805.html |title=Neue Vorwürfe gegen HSV-Profi: Ermittler durchsuchen Wohnung von Jatta |author= |work=n-tv.de |date=2 July 2020 |access-date=2 July 2020}}
In March 2022, the court in Hamburg-Altona dismissed the case.{{Cite web |url=https://www.spiegel.de/sport/fussball/hamburger-sv-und-bakery-jatta-gericht-lehnt-verfahrenseroeffnung-ab-a-f2d220d7-3ecf-4e47-8ad6-eb4aec049479 |title=Gericht lehnt Verfahrenseröffnung gegen Bakery Jatta ab |author= |work=spiegel.de |date=8 March 2022 |access-date=10 March 2022}}
Career statistics
{{updated|match played 18 May 2025}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | ||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|DFB-Pokal !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="3"|Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan="5"|Hamburger SV II
|rowspan="4"|Regionalliga Nord |16 | 11 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 16 | 11 | |||
| 2017–18
|10 | 8 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 10 | 8 | |||
| 2018–19
|11 | 1 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 11 | 1 | |||
| 2019–20
|1 | 0 | colspan="2"|– | colspan="2"|– | 1 | 0 | |||
| colspan="2"|Total
!38 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 20 | |
| rowspan="11"|Hamburger SV
|rowspan="2"|Bundesliga |6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 6 | 0 | ||
| 2017–18
|10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 10 | 0 | ||
| 2018–19
|rowspan="7"|2. Bundesliga |25 | 4 | 4 | 1 | colspan="2"|— | 29 | 5 | ||
| 2019–20
|31 | 4 | 0 | 0 | colspan=2|— | 31 | 4 | ||
| 2020–21
|27 | 5 | 0 | 0 | colspan=2|— | 27 | 5 | ||
| 2021–22
|34 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 2{{Efn|name=BPO|Appearances in Bundesliga relegation play-offs}} | 0 | 41 | 3 | |
| 2022–23
|23 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2{{Efn|name=BPO}} | 0 | 26 | 4 | |
| 2023–24
|32 | 5 | 3 | 3 | colspan="2"|— | 35 | 8 | ||
| 2024–25
|8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 10 | 0 | ||
| 2025–26
|Bundesliga |0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 0 | 0 | ||
| colspan="2"|Total
!196 | 25 | 15 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 215 | 29 | |
| colspan="3"|Career total
!234 | 45 | 15 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 253 | 49 |
{{notelist}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{WorldFootball.net|bakery-jatta}}
{{Hamburger SV squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jatta, Bakery}}
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:Gambian men's footballers
Category:Gambian expatriate men's footballers
Category:Gambian expatriate sportspeople in Germany
Category:Gambian emigrants to Germany
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Germany
Category:Hamburger SV II players