Chris Mavinga-Adebayor (born 26 May 1991) is a professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...
who plays as a
centre-back
In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring.
Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either s ...
for the
LA Galaxy
LA Galaxy, also known as the Los Angeles Galaxy, are an American professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Galaxy competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), as a member of the Western Conference. The club began pl ...
in
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...
. A
French youth international, who was a part of the team that won the
2010 UEFA European Under-19 Championship
The 2010 UEFA European Under-19 Championship was the ninth edition of UEFA's European Under-19 Championship since it was renamed from the original under-18 event, in 2001. France hosted the championship during July. Ukraine were the title holders ...
on home soil, he has chosen to represent
DR Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...
at senior level.
Mavinga joined
Rubin Kazan
FC Rubin Kazan (russian: Футбо́льный клуб Руби́н Каза́нь, ''Futbolny klub Rubin Kazan'' , Tatar: Рубин Казан) is a Russian professional football club based in the city of Kazan. They play in the second-tier ...
in 2013 after spending two years at French club
Rennes
Rennes (; br, Roazhon ; Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France at the confluence of the Ille and the Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department ...
. Prior to joining Rennes, he spent three years at the
Camp des Loges
The Camp des Loges, also known as Ooredoo Training Centre for sponsorship reasons, located in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, is the training ground of French football club Paris Saint-Germain. The current version of the Camp des Loges opened in Novem ...
, the training center of French club
Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain Football Club (), commonly referred to as Paris Saint-Germain, Paris, Paris SG or simply PSG is a professional football club based in Paris, France. They compete in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. As Fr ...
and also two years with
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
.
Club career
Early career
Mavinga was born in
Meaux
Meaux () is a commune on the river Marne in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is east-northeast of the centre of Paris.
Meaux is, with Provins, Torcy and Fontainebleau, ...
, Greater Paris, to an Angolan mother and a DR Congolese father. He began his football career at CA Combs-la-Ville, a local club in nearby
Combs-la-Ville
Combs-la-Ville () is a commune in the south-eastern suburbs of Paris, in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located from the center of Paris, in the " new town" of Sénart, created in the 1970s.
...
. He spent seven years at the club and, in 2004, departed for amateur outfit
US Sénart-Moissy
US Sénart-Moissy is a French football club based in Moissy-Cramayel, France.
History
It was founded on 24 September 1932 and play at the Stade André Trémet, which has a capacity of 2,500. The color of the club is blue.
Notable former player ...
. The following year, Mavinga joined
ES Viry-Châtillon and played on the club's under-16 team.
While playing at Viry-Châtillon, Mavinga played in an under-16 league match against the
youth academy
In sporting terminology, a youth system (or youth academy) is a youth investment program within a particular team or league, which develops and nurtures young talent in farm teams, with the vision of using them in the first team in the future if t ...
of
Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain Football Club (), commonly referred to as Paris Saint-Germain, Paris, Paris SG or simply PSG is a professional football club based in Paris, France. They compete in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. As Fr ...
in Paris. He impressed the professional club's scouts and, following the season, was offered a deal to join the club on an ''aspirant'' (youth) contract.
Mavinga agreed to the move and joined the club in June 2006. Prior to signing with Paris Saint-Germain, he was approached by English club
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
.
Mavinga was inserted onto the club's under-18 team and helped the squad reach the
Championnat National
The Championnat de France National ( en, French National Championship), commonly referred to as simply National or Division 3, serves as the third division of the French football league system behind Ligue 1 and Ligue 2. Contested by 18 clubs, t ...
under-18 championship match where they were defeated by the under-18 team of
Marseille
Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...
.
[
]
Liverpool
During the 2008–09 season, Mavinga began training with the senior team of Paris Saint-Germain. However, during his stint with the team, he grew frustrated at the lack of guidance from the club's youth structure, as well as the unapproachable attitude of a few senior team players.[ In June 2009, Mavinga was again contacted by Liverpool, who stated their interest in the player without offering a contract. While waiting on Liverpool's offer, Mavinga also awaited an offer from Paris Saint-Germain, however the latter's offer did not meet the player's expectations. On 7 July 2009, Mavinga signed with Liverpool after agreeing to a three-year deal. Prior to the agreement, he was also coveted by Liverpool's league rival ]Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
. Many supporters and members of Paris Saint-Germain attributed Mavinga's move to Liverpool solely for financial reasons, however, Mavinga denounced the notion by stating that he joined the English club simply for sporting reasons.[ He also blamed his departure on the firing of Paris Saint-Germain's former manager ]Paul Le Guen
Paul Joseph Marie Le Guen (, ; born 1 March 1964) is a French professional football manager and former player. He was most recently the manager of Ligue 2 club Le Havre.
During his playing career, Le Guen played as a midfielder, and enjoyed a su ...
with whom he shared a good relationship.[ Upon his arrival at Liverpool, Mavinga was placed onto the club's ]reserve team
In sports, a reserve team is a team composed of players under contract to a club but who do not normally play in matches for the first team. Reserve teams often include back-up players from the first team, young players who need playing time to i ...
and played in the Premier Reserve League
The Premier Reserve League (officially known as The Barclays Premier Reserve League for sponsorship reasons) was the reserve team league for the top English football teams in the Premier League. The league was split into a northern and a southern ...
. During the latter part of the 2009–10 season, he began training with the club's senior team.
On 23 August 2010, Mavinga admitted that he was frustrated at his lack of playing time on the senior team stating that, following the firing of Rafa Benítez, he was relegated back to training full-time with the reserve team by new manager Roy Hodgson
Roy Hodgson (born 9 August 1947) is a former English football manager and player.
He managed 22 different teams in eight countries, beginning in Sweden with Halmstads BK in the 1976 season. He later guided the Switzerland national team to th ...
.
Loan to Genk
On 21 December 2010, the Belgian media reported that Belgian Pro League
The Belgian Pro League,(officially the Jupiler Pro League due to sponsorship reasons with Jupiler), is the top league competition for association football clubs in Belgium. Contested by 18 clubs since the 2020–21 season and reduced to 16 team ...
club Genk
Genk () is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality located in the Belgian Provinces of Belgium, province of Limburg (Belgium), Limburg near Hasselt. The municipality only comprises the town of Genk itself. I ...
had acquired Mavinga on loan for the rest of the season
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
. Despite initial speculation of Mavinga verbally agreeing to join Turkish club Antalyaspor
Antalyaspor Kulübü is a Turkish professional football club located in the city of Antalya. The club's colours are red and white. They play their home matches at the Antalya Stadium. In Turkey, the club won the First League twice in 1982 and 1 ...
, the move to Genk was completed on 11 January 2011. On 13 February, Mavinga made his professional debut appearing as a substitute in a 2–0 victory over Standard Liège
Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège (; nl, Standard Luik ; german: Standard Lüttich ) or simply Standard in Belgium, is a Belgian professional football club based in the city of Liège.
They are one of the most ...
. On 17 May, Mavinga broke the jaw and fractured the nose of Standard Liège
Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège (; nl, Standard Luik ; german: Standard Lüttich ) or simply Standard in Belgium, is a Belgian professional football club based in the city of Liège.
They are one of the most ...
player Mehdi Carcela-Gonzalez after accidentally kicking him in the face during the match.
Rennes
On 19 July 2011, Mavinga returned to France signing a four-year contract with Rennes
Rennes (; br, Roazhon ; Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France at the confluence of the Ille and the Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department ...
. The transfer fee was priced at £1 million and Mavinga was assigned the number 3 shirt. On the opening game of the season, Mavinga made his debut for Rennes in a 4–0 loss against Montpellier
Montpellier (, , ; oc, Montpelhièr ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the Departments of ...
. He since would be often used in first team in and out in his first season, having his playing time reduced and would be unused substitute in the matches. At the end of the season, Mavinga soon had a falling out with manager Frédéric Antonetti
Frédéric Antonetti (born 19 August 1961) is a French professional football manager and former player who was most recently the manager of French club Metz. He previously managed Bastia, Gamba Osaka, Saint-Étienne, Nice, Rennes and Lille.
E ...
after taking exception to being made to train separately from the group.
The following season, Belgian Pro League
The Belgian Pro League,(officially the Jupiler Pro League due to sponsorship reasons with Jupiler), is the top league competition for association football clubs in Belgium. Contested by 18 clubs since the 2020–21 season and reduced to 16 team ...
club Racing Genk
Koninklijke Racing Club Genk (), commonly known as KRC Genk, Racing Genk or simply Genk, is a Belgium, Belgian professional association football, football club based in the city of Genk in Limburg (Belgium), Belgian Limburg. Racing Genk plays ...
, his former club he played whilst on loan, renewed their interests signing him and made a bid on him. However, Rennes rejected a bid for Mavinga, insisting Genk increase their bid for worth about four or six million euros for him. Instead, Genk ended their interest signing Mavinga, by signing Brian Hamalainen
Brian (sometimes spelled Bryan in English) is a male given name of Irish and Breton origin, as well as a surname of Occitan origin. It is common in the English-speaking world.
It is possible that the name is derived from an Old Celtic word mea ...
. Shortly after this, Mavinga would soon be more often, with his increased of playing time, playing in the left-back position. After his suspension from the national team, Mavinga, along with Rennes teammate Yann M'Vila
Yann Gérard M'Vila (born 29 June 1990) is a French professional footballer who plays for Super League Greece club Olympiacos. He operates primarily as a defensive midfielder, and is described by his former club as a player who possesses "excell ...
, was suspended until further notice on 19 October and ordered to train with the youth team. Their action was even threatened by Antonetti, with sidelined the pair until the end of the season. Among criticised the duo are general manager Pierre Dréossi
Pierre Dréossi (born 12 October 1959) is a French football manager and former player.
He played as a defender for Lille OSC, FC Sochaux-Montbéliard, OGC Nice, Paris Saint-Germain and AS Cannes.
He was head coach of Stade Rennais until ...
, believing they disrespect football. Mavinga would make his return until 3 November 2012, as Rennes win 1–0 against Stade Reims
Stade de Reims () is a French professional football club based in Reims. The club was formed in 1910 and plays in Ligue 1, the top level of Football in France, having been promoted from Ligue 2 in 2018. Reims plays home matches at the Stade Aug ...
and since retain his first team place in defense. On 15 February 2013, Mavinga made a mistake, scoring the own-goal, as Rennes lose 2–0 against Lille
Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, the Pref ...
.
Rubin Kazan
On 7 August 2013, Mavinga agreed to join Russian side Rubin Kazan
FC Rubin Kazan (russian: Футбо́льный клуб Руби́н Каза́нь, ''Futbolny klub Rubin Kazan'' , Tatar: Рубин Казан) is a Russian professional football club based in the city of Kazan. They play in the second-tier ...
, for a reported fee of €5 million. He joined on a four-year contract, where he played with former Rennes teammate Yann M'Vila.
He made his full league debut in an away match at Ural Sverdlovsk Oblast on 31 August 2013. Rubin won the game 3–0, in which Chris put in a man of the match display at left back, breaking up Ural attacks and setting up Rubin ones. He limped off injured late on.
Toronto FC
On 30 January 2017, Mavinga agreed to join Canadian MLS
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...
side Toronto FC
Toronto Football Club (commonly known as Toronto FC or TFC) is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home matches at BMO ...
. He agreed to a three-year contract.
On 8 March 2018, Toronto re-signed Mavinga to a multi-year contract extension.
LA Galaxy
On 5 January 2023, Mavinga joined Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...
side LA Galaxy
LA Galaxy, also known as the Los Angeles Galaxy, are an American professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Galaxy competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), as a member of the Western Conference. The club began pl ...
on a deal through 2024.
International career
Mavinga was a French youth international and have earned caps with both the under-18 and under-19 teams. He made his youth international debut on 25 March 2009 in the under-18 team's friendly match
An exhibition game (also known as a friendly, a scrimmage, a demonstration, a preseason game, a warmup match, or a preparation match, depending at least in part on the sport) is a sporting event whose prize money and impact on the player's or ...
against Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
in Markranstädt
Markranstädt () is a town in the Leipzig district, in Saxony, Germany. It is situated 11 km southwest of the city of Leipzig and has close to 15,000 inhabitants.
Geography Location
Markranstädt is located about south-west of Leipzig ci ...
. France won the match 4–3. On 13 June, Mavinga was a part of the team that contested England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
in a 4–2 victory. The match was played at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 200 ...
in front of 15,000 spectators and the victory resulted in the team being presented the Fallenhero Trophy by The Football Association
The Football Association (also known as The FA) is the Sports governing body, governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Bailiwick of Guernsey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the ...
chairman Trevor Brooking
Sir Trevor David Brooking, (born 2 October 1948) is a former England international footballer, manager, pundit and football administrator; he now works as director of football development in England.
He spent almost his entire career at West Ha ...
. With the under-19 team, Mavinga was a regular call up of coach Francis Smerecki
Francis Smerecki (25 July 1949 – 7 June 2018) was a French football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of foo ...
often starting in the centre back position alongside Johan Martial or Sébastien Faure
Sébastien Faure (6 January 1858 – 14 July 1942) was a French anarchist, freethought and secularist activist and a principal proponent of synthesis anarchism.
Biography
Before becoming a free-thinker, Faure was a seminarist. He engaged ...
. He made his under-19 debut on 9 October 2009 in 4–2 defeat to the Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
. After consistently appearing with the team for the campaign, on 7 June 2010, he was named to coach Smerecki's 18-man squad to participate in the 2010 European Under-19 Football Championship. He featured in four of the team's five matches including the final match against Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
, which France won 2–1. The title is the country's second UEFA Under-19 championship.
Due to France's victory at the UEFA Under-19 championship, the nation qualified for the 2011 U-20 World Cup, which merited under-20 team appearances for Mavinga. He made his debut with the team on 7 October 2010 in a friendly match
An exhibition game (also known as a friendly, a scrimmage, a demonstration, a preseason game, a warmup match, or a preparation match, depending at least in part on the sport) is a sporting event whose prize money and impact on the player's or ...
against Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
, which ended 3–3. Mavinga, subsequently, appeared in three matches for the team during the 2010–11 campaign and, on 10 June 2011, was named to the 21-man squad to participate in the U-20 World Cup. During the week leading up to the team's first match, Mavinga suffered an ankle injury during a training session. The injury was deemed serious and Mavinga was forced to drop out of the squad, which resulted in the player missing the competition.
In November 2012, Mavinga was suspended from national teams until 31 December 2013 for disciplinary reasons.
Later, he decided to not to represent France, but the DR Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...
instead. He made his in 2015 and has appeared in five games for his country since.
Career statistics
Club
Honours
Club
Genk
* Belgian Pro League
The Belgian Pro League,(officially the Jupiler Pro League due to sponsorship reasons with Jupiler), is the top league competition for association football clubs in Belgium. Contested by 18 clubs since the 2020–21 season and reduced to 16 team ...
: 2010–11
Toronto FC
* MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the annual championship game of Major League Soccer (MLS) and the culmination of the MLS Cup Playoffs. The game is held in November and pits the winner of the Eastern Conference Final against the winner of the Western Conference ...
: 2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
* Supporters' Shield
The Supporters' Shield is an annual award given to the Major League Soccer team with the best regular season record, as determined by the MLS points system. The Supporters' Shield has been annually awarded at the MLS Supporters' Summit since 19 ...
: 2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
* Canadian Championship
The Canadian Championship (french: Championnat canadien) is an annual soccer tournament contested by premier Canadian professional teams. The winner is awarded the Voyageurs Cup and Canada's berth in the CONCACAF Champions League. It is contest ...
: 2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
, 2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
* Trillium Cup
The Trillium Cup is an annual rivalry between the Columbus Crew and Toronto FC. The Trillium Cup is named after the trillium, which is both the official flower of the Canadian province of Ontario, and the official wildflower of the U.S. state of ...
: 2017, 2019
International
France
* UEFA European Under-19 Championship
The UEFA European Under-19 Championship, or simply UEFA Under-19 Championship or the UEFA Euro U-19, is an annual football competition contested by the European men's under-19 national teams of the member associations of UEFA.
Spain and England ...
: 2010
File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
References
External links
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*
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*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mavinga, Chris
1991 births
Living people
People from Meaux
French people of Angolan descent
French sportspeople of Democratic Republic of the Congo descent
Footballers from Seine-et-Marne
Association football defenders
French footballers
Democratic Republic of the Congo footballers
US Sénart-Moissy players
ES Viry-Châtillon players
Paris Saint-Germain F.C. players
K.R.C. Genk players
Liverpool F.C. players
Stade Rennais F.C. players
FC Rubin Kazan players
Stade de Reims players
ES Troyes AC players
Toronto FC players
LA Galaxy players
Ligue 1 players
Belgian Pro League players
Russian Premier League players
Major League Soccer players
France under-21 international footballers
France youth international footballers
Democratic Republic of the Congo international footballers
French expatriate footballers
French expatriate sportspeople in England
Expatriate footballers in England
French expatriate sportspeople in Belgium
Expatriate footballers in Belgium
French expatriate sportspeople in Russia
Expatriate footballers in Russia
Democratic Republic of the Congo expatriate sportspeople in Canada
French expatriate sportspeople in Canada
Expatriate soccer players in Canada
Black French sportspeople