- Mario Melchiot
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Mario Melchiot Personal information Full name Mario Deno Patrik Melchiot[1] Date of birth 4 November 1976 Place of birth Amsterdam, Netherlands Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) Playing position Right-back Club information Current club Umm Salal Number 15 Senior career* Years Team Apps† (Gls)† 1996–1999 Ajax 73 (1) 1999–2004 Chelsea 130 (4) 2004–2006 Birmingham City 56 (2) 2006–2007 Rennes 30 (2) 2007–2010 Wigan Athletic 97 (0) 2010– Umm Salal 20 (0) National team‡ 2000–2008 Netherlands 22 (0) * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 07:48, 30 May 2010 (UTC).
† Appearances (Goals).
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 25 May 2008Mario Deno Patrik Melchiot (born 4 November 1976 in Amsterdam) is a Dutch football defender who currently plays for Qatari Stars League club Umm Salal. He can play as either a right-back or a central defender, and has also occasionally played in midfield.[2]
Contents
Early life
Melchiot was born and raised in Amsterdam, living with his two brothers and two sisters. He enjoyed a close relationship with his eldest brother, Winston, who acted as Mario's mentor after their parents split up. When Winston died of a heart attack at the age of 25, Melchiot considered giving up football.[3]
Career
Ajax
Melchiot started his career in the youth system at Ajax, and made his debut in the 1996–97 season. He scored his first goal for the club in the semi-final of the Champions League in a 4-1 defeat against Juventus.[4] Melchiot spent three seasons at the club, winning the Eredivisie in 1998 and the KNVB Cup in 1998 and 1999. In the summer of 1999, he signed a three-year contract with Chelsea under the Bosman ruling.[5]
Chelsea
For most of his first season at the club, Melchiot did not feature in the first-team due to injuries. However, on 22 April 2000, following an injury to Albert Ferrer, Melchiot finally made his debut in a 1-1 draw against Middlesbrough. A month later he played in the FA Cup final against Aston Villa where he played a major role in helping Chelsea win the match.
At the start of the 2000–01 season, he scored his first goal for Chelsea in a 2-0 win against Manchester United in the Charity Shield.[6] Under new manager Claudio Ranieri, Melchiot quickly established himself as the club's first choice right-back, and was soon rewarded with a contract extension, keeping him at the club until 2004.[7]
Birmingham City
He signed for Birmingham City on a three-year contract in July 2004,[8] and made his debut in a 1–1 draw against Portsmouth.[9] In his second season, Birmingham found themselves in a relegation battle. He soon became a scapegoat for the club's poor performances, and was booed by his own supporters in a match against Tottenham Hotspur.[10] Birmingham were finally relegated in April 2006 after a 0–0 draw with Newcastle United. He played his last game for Birmingham in their 1–0 defeat to Bolton Wanderers on 7 May 2006. He scored two league goals during his spell at Birmingham, against Charlton[11] and Wigan.[12]
Rennes
In August 2006, Melchiot joined French outfit Rennes on a one-year contract. He scored his first goal for the club in a Coupe de la Ligue Round of 16 tie against Ligue 2 club Libourne-Saint-Seurin. Melchiot endeared himself to the Rennes faithful when he scored his first league goal for the club in a 2–0 win over fierce rivals Nantes. Melchiot's contract with Rennes lasted until the summer of 2007.
Wigan Athletic
Melchiot joined Wigan Athletic on a free transfer on 15 June 2007.[13] On 24 July 2007, he was given the Wigan captaincy,[14] following the departure of his compatriot Arjan de Zeeuw. He became a fan-favourite at the JJB, and made Latics history when he became the first Wigan player to play in a major international tournament by coming on for the Netherlands against Romania at the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament. He made over 100 appearances for Wigan during his three years at the club.
Umm Salal
In June 2010, Melchiot turned down a new contract from Wigan Athletic and agreed to join Umm-Salal Sports Club on a free transfer after his existing contract expired at the end of the month.[15] He was signed by Umm Salal manager, Henk ten Cate, as he was reportedly interested in an experienced defender after signing Spanish midfielder Gabri.[16] He made his debut in a 2-2 draw against Al-Arabi.[17]
International career
Melchiot has picked up 22 caps for the Netherlands since making his international debut on 11 October 2000 in a 2–0 World Cup qualifier defeat against Portugal. His last international appearance was in the final group match of UEFA Euro 2008 against Romania on 17 June 2008.
Outside football
In 1998, Melchiot and Ajax teammates Benni McCarthy and Dean Gorre, calling themselves BMD, released a rap/R & B track called "Midas Touch".[18][19] He has also campaigned for the British Heart Foundation[20] and has appeared on the quiz show A Question of Sport.[21]
Career statistics
Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Netherlands League KNVB Cup League Cup Europe Total 1996-97 Ajax Eredivisie 23 0 1 0 - 9 1 33 1 1997-98 26 0 3 0 - 4 0 33 0 1998-99 24 1 4 1 - 1 0 29 2 England League FA Cup League Cup Europe Total 1999–00 Chelsea Premier League 5 0 1 0 - - - - 6 0 2000–01 31 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 34 0 2001–02 37 2 6 0 4 0 3 0 50 2 2002–03 34 0 5 0 2 0 - - 41 0 2003–04 23 2 3 0 2 0 5 0 33 2 2004–05 Birmingham City 33 1 2 0 2 0 - - 37 1 2005–06 23 1 5 0 1 0 - - 29 1 France League Coupe de France Coupe de la Ligue Europe Total 2006–07 Rennes Ligue 1 30 2 1 0 3 1 - - 34 3 England League FA Cup League Cup Europe Total 2007–08 Wigan Athletic Premier League 31 0 1 0 1 0 - - 33 0 2008–09 34 0 - - 1 0 - - 35 0 2009–10 32 0 1 0 - - - - 33 0 Total Netherlands 73 1 8 1 - 14 1 95 3 England 283 6 25 0 14 0 9 0 331 6 France 30 2 1 0 3 1 - - 34 3 Career total 386 9 34 1 17 1 23 1 460 12 Playing Honours
- Eredivisie: 1997–98
- KNVB Cup: 1998, 1999
- Bruges Matins Trophy: 1997
- FA Premier League: runner-up 2003–04
- FA Cup: 2000, runner-up 2002
- FA Charity Shield: 2000
References
- ^ Mario Melchiot - qsl.com.qa
- ^ "Chelsea who's who". BBC Sport. 30-04-2002. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/1954699.stm. Retrieved 03-09-2010.
- ^ Scott, Danny (06-06-2004). "Best of Times, Worst of Times: Mario Melchiot". London: The Sunday Times. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/article434668.ece. Retrieved 29-09-2010.
- ^ "Dortmund, Juventus Through To Cup Final". The Age. 24-04-1997. http://www.dortmund.com.au/dortmund-news/1997/4/24/dortmund-juventus-through-to-cup-final/. Retrieved 01-09-2010.
- ^ "CHELSEA WIN THE BATTLE OF THE BLUES; Rangers pipped in race for super Mario.". The Mirror. 14-06-1999. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-60450653.html. Retrieved 03-09-2010.
- ^ "Keane sees red as Chelsea triumph". BBC Sport. 13-08-2000. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/879061.stm. Retrieved 01-09-2010.
- ^ Daley, Kieran (21 February 2001). "Sheringham will seek two-year United deal". London: The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/sheringham-will-seek-twoyear-united-deal-692777.html. Retrieved 1 October 2010.
- ^ "Melchiot joins Birmingham". BBC Sport. 09-07-2004. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/birmingham_city/3880795.stm. Retrieved 01-09-2010.
- ^ "Portsmouth 1-1 Birmingham". BBC Sport. 14-08-2004. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/3553176.stm. Retrieved 01-09-2010.
- ^ "Melchiot scapegoat as relegation fears put St Andrew's crowd in nasty mood.". The Birmingham Post. 20-03-2006. http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Football%3A+Melchiot+scapegoat+as+relegation+fears+put+St+Andrew%27s...-a0143423081. Retrieved 29-09-2010.
- ^ "Charlton 3–1 Birmingham". BBC. 15 January 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/4150629.stm. Retrieved 24 October 2009.
- ^ "Birmingham 2–0 Wigan". BBC. 2 January 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/4562586.stm. Retrieved 24 October 2009.
- ^ "Wigan capture defender Melchiot". BBC Sport. 2007-06-15. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/wigan_athletic/6755599.stm. Retrieved 2007-06-15.
- ^ "Captain Mario". Wigan Athletic FC. 2007-07-24. http://www.wiganlatics.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10429~1078361,00.html. Retrieved 2007-07-25.
- ^ "Mario Melchiot quits Wigan and signs for Qatar club Umm Salal". Daily Mail (London). 9 June 2010. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1285176/Mario-Melchiot-quits-Wigan-signs-Qatar-club-Umm-Salal.html. Retrieved 1 October 2010.
- ^ "Melchiot makes Qatar switch". Sky Sports. http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_6190560,00.html. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
- ^ http://www.qatar-tribune.com/data/20100914/content.asp?section=sports1_1
- ^ "BMD: Zingen is leuk, maar voetbal gaat voor" (in Dutch). AFC Ajax. 1999-01-01. http://www.ajax.nl/web/show/id=154417/contentid=15094. Retrieved 2008-05-25.
- ^ Dart, James; Bandini, Paolo (2007-08-08). "Which footballers have released a record?". guardian.co.uk (London: Guardian Media Group). http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2007/aug/08/theknowledge.sport. Retrieved 2008-05-25.
- ^ http://www.bhf.org.uk/report05/extras/melchiotInterview.htm
- ^ "Mario Melchiot". http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1596281/. Retrieved 11-09-2010.
- ^ "Voetbal International - Ajax" (in Dutch). http://www.vi.nl/Teams/Ajax.htm?dbid=343&typeofpage=84139. Retrieved 01-09-2010.
- ^ "Mario Melchiot". Soccerbase. http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=16250. Retrieved 01-09-2010.
- ^ "Mario Melchiot - Stade Rennais Online" (in French). http://www.stade-rennais-online.com/Mario-Melchiot.html. Retrieved 01-09-2010.
External links
- Mario Melchiot's profile, stats & pics
- Mario Melchiot career stats at Soccerbase
- (Dutch) Wereld van oranje.nl Profile
Netherlands squad – UEFA Euro 2008 1 van der Sar (c) • 2 Ooijer • 3 Heitinga • 4 Mathijsen • 5 van Bronckhorst • 6 de Zeeuw • 7 van Persie • 8 Engelaar • 9 van Nistelrooy • 10 Sneijder • 11 Robben • 12 Melchiot • 13 Timmer • 14 Bouma • 15 de Cler • 16 Stekelenburg • 17 de Jong • 18 Kuyt • 19 Huntelaar • 20 Afellay • 21 Boulahrouz • 22 Vennegoor of Hesselink • 23 van der Vaart • Coach: van BastenCategories:- 1976 births
- Living people
- People from Amsterdam
- Dutch footballers
- Netherlands international footballers
- Dutch expatriate footballers
- Expatriate footballers in England
- Expatriate footballers in France
- AFC Ajax players
- Chelsea F.C. players
- Birmingham City F.C. players
- Stade Rennais F.C. players
- Wigan Athletic F.C. players
- Eredivisie players
- Premier League players
- Ligue 1 players
- UEFA Euro 2008 players
- Dutch people of Surinamese descent
- Umm Salal Sport Club players
- Association football defenders
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