Chadi Cheikh Merai
{{Short description|Syrian footballer (born 1976)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Chadi
| image = Chadi02.jpg
| upright = 0.8
| caption = Chadi Cheick Merai in 1997
| full_name = Chadi Cheick Merai
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1976|1|20|df=y}}
| birth_place = Latakia, Syria
| height = 1.79 m
| position = Midfielder
| currentclub =
| clubnumber =
| youthyears1 = 1991–1995 |youthclubs1 = Teshrin
| youthyears2 =
| youthyears3 =
| years1 = 1995–1999 |clubs1 = Teshrin |caps1 = |goals1 =
| years2 = 1999–2000 |clubs2 = San Gimignano |caps2 = 25 |goals2 = 4
| years3 = 2000–2002 |clubs3 = U.S. Poggibonsi |caps3 = 43 |goals3 = 8
| years4 = 2002–2003 |clubs4 = Grosseto |caps4 = 9 |goals4 = 3
| years5 = Jan. 2003 |clubs5 = Montevarchi |caps5 = 13 |goals5 = 2
| years6 = 2003–2006 |clubs6 = Massese |caps6 = 90 |goals6 = 7
| years7 = 2006–2008 |clubs7 = SPAL |caps7 = 41 |goals7 = 3
| years8 = 2008–2011 |clubs8 = Lucchese |caps8 = 62 |goals8 = 2
| years9 = 2011 |clubs9 = Carrarese |caps9 = 5 |goals9 = 0
| years10 = 2011–2012 |clubs10 = Pietrasanta Marina |caps10 = |goals10 =
| nationalyears1 = 1995–1997 |nationalteam1 = Syria U-19 |nationalcaps1 = |nationalgoals1 =
| nationalyears2 = 1996–1998 |nationalteam2 = Syria |nationalcaps2 = 7 |nationalgoals2 = 0
| manageryears1 = 2012–? | managerclubs1 = Pietrasanta Marina
| pcupdate = 16 June 2011
| ntupdate = 6 April 2010
}}
Chadi Cheikh Merai ({{langx|ar|شَادِي شَيْخ مَرْعِيّ}}; born 20 January 1976), also known as Chadi, is a Syrian footballer who last played for and managed Pietrasanta Marina in the regional Eccellenza football division for clubs in Tuscany, Italy.{{cite web|url=http://www.radiobrunotoscana.it/eccellenza/4580-chadi-allenatore-giocatore-e-fabrizio-giovannini-ds-ecco-il-nuovo-pietrasanta.html|title=Chadi allenatore-giocatore e Fabrizio Giovannini ds: ecco il nuovo Pietrasanta!|author=Radio Bruno Toscana|language=Italian|access-date=3 September 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924084111/http://www.radiobrunotoscana.it/eccellenza/4580-chadi-allenatore-giocatore-e-fabrizio-giovannini-ds-ecco-il-nuovo-pietrasanta.html|archive-date=24 September 2015|url-status=dead}}
He played for Massese and Lucchese in the third-highest football league in Italy.{{cite web|url=http://www.smart-betting.com/betting_tip_preview_1151_Lucchese_vs_Bassano_Virtus|title=Lucchese vs Bassano Virtus|author=Smart Betting|accessdate= 21 March 2010}} He has an Italian passport, too.{{fact|date=December 2024}}
Club career
Cheick Merai was born in Latakia, Syria and started his career at local club Teshrin.
- He went to Italy in 1999{{cite web|url=http://ricerca.gelocal.it/iltirreno/archivio/iltirreno/2011/03/10/LCSPO_LCS01.html|title=Voglio vincere anche con la Carrarese|author=Il Tirreno|language=Italian|accessdate=16 June 2011|archive-date=5 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305014211/http://ricerca.gelocal.it/iltirreno/archivio/iltirreno/2011/03/10/LCSPO_LCS01.html|url-status=dead}} and he started his Italian senior career on Serie D, the top level of the Italian non-professional football association.
- In the season 2001–2002 he played his first match on Serie C2, the fourth highest football league in Italy, the first with a professional status. Chadi so is the first Syrian footballer{{cite web|url=http://iltirreno.gelocal.it/massa/sport/2011/01/10/news/pera-chadi-e-mariotti-prendi-tre-cedi-due-3142983|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120710105704/http://iltirreno.gelocal.it/massa/sport/2011/01/10/news/pera-chadi-e-mariotti-prendi-tre-cedi-due-3142983|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-07-10|title=Pera, Chadi e Mariotti: prendi tre cedi due|author=Il Tirreno|language=Italian}} playing in an Italian professional team.
- In the season 2002–2003 Chadi scored two goals{{cite web|url=http://www.fiorentina.it/notizia.asp?IDNotizia=10042&IDCategoria=27|title=Grosseto-Fiorentina 2–0|author=Fiorentina.it|language=Italian|accessdate=4 June 2010}} against Fiorentina.{{cite web|url=http://www.usgrosseto.com/portal2010/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=113&Itemid=116|title=La Storia del Grosseto|author=Biancorossi.it|language=Italian|accessdate=21 March 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100420065506/http://www.usgrosseto.com/portal2010/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=113&Itemid=116|archivedate=20 April 2010}}
- In the season 2005–2006 he reached Serie C1, the third highest Italian football league.
- As a player for Carrarese{{cite web|url=http://www.calciotoscano.it/carrarese-nelso-ricci-con-pera-chadi-e-mariotti-abbiamo-fatto-11-01-2011.htm|title=Carrarese, Nelso Ricci: "Con Pera, Chadi e Mariotti abbiamo fatto un notevole passo in avanti"|author=Calciotoscano.it|language=Italian|accessdate=1 December 2011}} he played the last professional championship in the season 2011–2012.
International career
Chadi was part of the Syria national team between 1996 and 1998, featuring in 7 caps.
Coaching career
In August 2012, Pietrasanta Marina announced on their official website that Chadi signed a deal with the club as their new manager.{{cite web|url=http://www.pietrasantamarina.it/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=491&Itemid=2|title=1° Agosto 2012, partiti!|author=PietrasantaMarina.it|language=Italian|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219035939/http://www.pietrasantamarina.it/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=491&Itemid=2|archivedate=19 December 2013}}
Honours
= Player =
- Teshrin
- Syrian Premier League: 1996/97
- U.S. Poggibonsi
- Serie D winner: 2000/01
- Massese
- Serie D winner: 2003/04{{cite web|url=http://archivio2.unita.it/v2/carta/showoldpdf.asp?anno=2004&mese=03&file=17F0Va|title=E' a Massa il pallone dei record|author=l'Unità|language=Italian|accessdate=21 March 2010}}{{dead link|date=August 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
- Serie C2 winner: 2004/05
- Lucchese
- Serie D winner: 2008/09{{cite web|url=http://iltirreno.gelocal.it/dettaglio/chadi-il-leader-del-centrocampo-specialista-in-doppie-promozioni/1805028|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120709015301/http://iltirreno.gelocal.it/dettaglio/chadi-il-leader-del-centrocampo-specialista-in-doppie-promozioni/1805028|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 July 2012|title=Chadi, il leader del centrocampo specialista in doppie promozioni|author=Il Tirreno|language=Italian|accessdate=21 March 2010}}
- Lega Pro Seconda Divisione winner: 2009/10
- Carrarese
- Lega Pro Seconda Divisione winner: 2010/11{{cite web|url=http://www.rai.tv/dl/RaiTV/programmi/media/ContentItem-cc60b4f5-7fe6-4fe9-9090-5793c7c24358-raisport.html|title=Carrarese – Prato 2–0|author=Rai Sport|language=Italian|accessdate= 16 June 2011}}
Syria
- AFC Youth Championship: Runners-up 1996
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{TuttoCalciatori|Chadi_Cheikh_Merai}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cheikh Merai, Chadi}}
Category:Sportspeople from Latakia
Category:Men's association football forwards
Category:Syrian men's footballers
Category:Syria men's international footballers
Category:Syrian expatriate men's footballers
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Italy
Category:Italian football managers