Koffi Ndri Romaric

Romaric

Personal information
Full name	Christian Koffi Ndri[1]
Date of birth	4 June 1983 (1983-06-04) (age 28)[2]
Place of birth	Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Height	1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)[3]
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Espanyol (on loan from Sevilla)
Number	11
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2001–2003	ASEC Mimosas	?	(?)
2003–2005	Beveren	44	(18)
2005–2008	Le Mans	89	(7)
2008–	Sevilla	81	(3)
2011–	→ Espanyol (loan)	9	(1)
National team‡
2005–	Côte d'Ivoire	38	(5)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 6 November 2011. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 17 June 2011

Christian Koffi Ndri (born 4 June 1983), 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,^[1] Romaric is classed as a playmaker.^[4]

Club career

Early years

Like many players of Ivorian descent, he started his career at the famed youth academy at homeland club ASEC Mimosas, before moving on to ASEC's European feeder club, K.S.K. Beveren in 2003.

Le Mans

In May 2005 he joined French Ligue 1 club Le Mans. 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.

Sevilla

In May 2008, it was reported that Spanish La Liga 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.^[5] His second goal came in a 1–2 home loss against Racing Santander.

Espanyol

Romaric joined RCD Espanyol 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.^[6]

International career

He plays for the Côte d'Ivoire national team, 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.

International goals

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	29 March 2009	Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso	Malawi	1–0	5–0	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
2.	7 June 2009	Konakry, Guinea	Guinea	2–1	2–1	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
3.	25 June 2010	Nelspruit, South Africa	North Korea	2–0	3–0	2010 FIFA World Cup
4.	9 October 2010	Bujumbura, Burundi	Burundi	1–0	1–0	2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualification

Honours

Sevilla

• Copa del Rey: 2009–10

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Ndri Romaric". UEFA. 1 January 2010. http://www.uefa.com/news/newsid=1452844.html. Retrieved 1 September 2011. 
2. ^ "Romaric". BBC Sport. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/world_cup_2010/groups_and_teams/team/ivory_coast/romaric. Retrieved 1 September 2011. 
3. ^ "Christian Koffi Romaric Ndri". Soccerway. Global Sports Media. http://www.soccerway.com/players/christian-koffi-romaric-n-dri/1243/. Retrieved 1 September 2011. 
4. ^ Gourizro, Giscard (11 August 2011). "Romaric on Lille's radar". Sky Sports. http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11800_7094010,00.html. Retrieved 1 September 2011. 
5. ^ Gourizro, Giscard (8 December 2008). "Romaric pleased with form". Sky Sports. http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11827_4611530,00.html. Retrieved 1 September 2011. 
6. ^ Caferoglu, Livio (31 August 2011). "Official: Espanyol sign Romaric from Sevilla as Luis Garcia joins Real Zaragoza". Goal.com. http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/3277/la-liga/2011/08/31/2645302/official-espanyol-sign-romaric-from-sevilla-as-luis-garcia-joins-. Retrieved 1 September 2011. 

External links

• Espanyol official profile
• BDFutbol profile
• Transfermarkt profile
• Romaric career stats at Soccerbase
• 2010 FIFA World Cup profile
• Romaric at National-Football-Teams.com
• Romaric – FIFA competition record

Persondata
Name	Romaric, Christian Koffi Ndri
Alternative names
Short description	Ivorian ootballer
Date of birth	4 June 1983
Place of birth	Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Date of death
Place of death