Chadi Cheikh Merai

Chadi Cheikh Merai (Arabic: 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.^[1]

Chadi

Chadi Cheick Merai in 1997
Personal information
Full name	Chadi Cheick Merai
Date of birth	(1976-01-20) 20 January 1976 (age 49)
Place of birth	Latakia, Syria
Height	1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Youth career
1991–1995	Teshrin
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1995–1999	Teshrin
1999–2000	San Gimignano	25	(4)
2000–2002	U.S. Poggibonsi	43	(8)
2002–2003	Grosseto	9	(3)
Jan. 2003	Montevarchi	13	(2)
2003–2006	Massese	90	(7)
2006–2008	SPAL	41	(3)
2008–2011	Lucchese	62	(2)
2011	Carrarese	5	(0)
2011–2012	Pietrasanta Marina
International career‡
1995–1997	Syria U-19
1996–1998	Syria	7	(0)
Managerial career
2012–?	Pietrasanta Marina
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 16 June 2011 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 6 April 2010

He played for Massese and Lucchese in the third-highest football league in Italy.^[2] He has an Italian passport, too.^{[citation needed]}

Club career

Cheick Merai was born in Latakia, Syria and started his career at local club Teshrin.

• He went to Italy in 1999^[3] 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^[4] playing in an Italian professional team.
• In the season 2002–2003 Chadi scored two goals^[5] against Fiorentina.^[6]
• In the season 2005–2006 he reached Serie C1, the third highest Italian football league.
• As a player for Carrarese^[7] 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.^[8]

Honours

Player

• Teshrin
  • Syrian Premier League: 1996/97
• U.S. Poggibonsi
  • Serie D winner: 2000/01
• Massese
  • Serie D winner: 2003/04^[9]
  • Serie C2 winner: 2004/05
• Lucchese
  • Serie D winner: 2008/09^[10]
  • Lega Pro Seconda Divisione winner: 2009/10
• Carrarese
  • Lega Pro Seconda Divisione winner: 2010/11^[11]

Syria

• AFC Youth Championship: Runners-up 1996