Christian Karembeu

Early life

Karembeu was born on 3 December 1970 in Lifou, New Caledonia, a French overseas territory in the Pacific Islands. At the age of 17, he moved to France on a scholarship to study and play football.

Club career

During his career Karembeu played for Nantes (1990–95), Sampdoria (1995–97), Real Madrid (1997–2000), Middlesbrough (2000–01), Olympiakos (2001–04), Servette Genève (2004–05), Bastia (2005–06). With Real Madrid, he won the Champions League in 1998 and 2000, starting in the former but remaining on the bench for the latter. He also played for the Real Madrid Veterans against Barcelona in Qatar, on 13 November 2012. He last played midfield for Bastia in the French Ligue 1. He announced his retirement on 13 October 2006, although he added that he would "be having a kickabout from time to time". He also took part in a friendly competition for Kettering Town FC with Gianfranco Zola, Les Ferdinand and Gus Poyet.

International career

Born in the French territory of New Caledonia, he was a member of the French team that won the 1998 World Cup. Karembeu was also part of the victorious French team at Euro 2000. He compiled 53 caps in his career, earning his first one on 14 November 1992 against Finland in a 2–1 victory.

Post-retirement career

On 9 December 2005, Karembeu represented the Oceania Football Confederation at the draw for the 2006 World Cup which took place in Leipzig, Germany.

In May 2006 Karembeu became a scout for English Premiership side Portsmouth Football Club. In 2007, he was appointed as non-executive director of Birmingham International Holdings. He left after 2010 annual general meeting. However, in August 2009, Karembeu decided to join Arsenal's ever expanding scouting network.

In June 2013, Karembeu was handed an administrative role at Greek club Olympiacos along with former South African footballer Pierre Issa.

Commitment

Karembeu is a member of the ‘Champions for Peace’ club, a group of 54 famous elite athletes committed to serving peace in the world through sport, created by Peace and Sport, a Monaco-based international organization.

Deeply involved in Peace and Sport’s activities, Karembeu visited Haiti in August 2010 with Founder and President of Peace and Sport, Joel Bouzou, to strengthen the role of sport in the country's reconstruction efforts and attract the attention of the international community to urgent needs that prevail there. He went to meet sports instructors and young beneficiaries of the emergency program that the Haitian Olympic Committee has set up in survivor camps.

Personal life

The great-grandfather of Karembeu, who came from New Caledonia, was one of a hundred Kanaks taken to Paris in 1931 for the Paris Colonial Exposition and exhibited there as "cannibals". Later the "cannibals" were swapped with Germany for some crocodiles. Karembeu refuses to sing France's national anthem, La Marseillaise, due to the colonial past of the country.

Karembeu was married to Slovak model Adriana Sklenarikova, whom he met on an aeroplane. The couple split in March 2011 and divorced in December 2012.

Television

Karembeu is the host of French TV series "Des Iles et des Hommes" (Of Islands and Men), aired on Planete in 2010 and 2011, a travel programme visiting among 6 of the most beautiful islands of the world. He also became part of the ITV broadcast team for Euro 2016.

Statistics

Honours

Nantes

• French League: 1994–1995
• Coupe de France: Runner-up 1993

Real Madrid

• UEFA Champions League: 1997–98, 1999–00
• Intercontinental Cup: 1998
• UEFA Super Cup: Runner-up 1998

Olympiacos

• Greek Championships: 2001–02, 2002–03
• Greek Cup: Runner-up 2002, 2004

France

• FIFA World Cup: 1998
• UEFA European Championship: 2000
• FIFA Confederations Cup: 2001

Individual

• Oceania Footballer of the Year: 1995, 1998
• Équipe type spéciale 20 ans des trophées UNFP: 2011

As Strategic Advisor

Olympiacos

• Superleague Greece: 2013–14, 2014–15
• Greek Football Cup: 2014–15

Titles

Following the 1998 World Cup, he was made Chevalier (Knight) of the Légion d'honneur in 1998