Salomon Sambia (born 7 September 1996), commonly known as Junior Sambia,[4][5][6] is a French professional footballer who plays for Serie A club Empoli, on loan from Salernitana. He plays predominantly as a right back, but can also play as a defensive midfielder or winger.

Junior Sambia
Sambia with Montpellier in 2017
Personal information
Full name Salomon Sambia[1][2]
Date of birth (1996-09-07) 7 September 1996 (age 28)
Place of birth Vaulx-en-Velin, France
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[3]
Position(s) Right-back, defensive midfielder, winger
Team information
Current team
Empoli
(on loan from Salernitana)
Number 7
Youth career
2003–2011 Lyon
2011–2013 Mâcon
2013–2014 Chamois Niortais
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014–2018 Chamois Niortais 76 (6)
2017–2018Montpellier (loan) 28 (1)
2015–2016 Chamois Niortais B 5 (0)
2018–2019 Montpellier B 7 (1)
2018–2022 Montpellier 113 (3)
2022– Salernitana 40 (1)
2024–Empoli (loan) 0 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 27 August 2024

Career

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Chamois Niortais

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Born in Lyon, Sambia joined the youth set-up at Niort from Mâcon in 2013.[5] In the summer of 2014, he was awarded a first-team contract alongside fellow youth midfielder Antoine Batisse.[5] Sambia made his senior debut for Niort on 12 September 2014 in the 1–0 defeat to Dijon at the age of 18 years and 5 days, becoming the youngest player ever to start a professional match for the club.[7] He went on to make five league appearances in total during the 2014–15 season.[2]

Montpellier

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In August 2017, Sambia joined Montpellier on a one-year loan with an option to buy.[8] The option would eventually be exercised at the end of the 2017–18 season. In May 2022, his exit from Montpellier at the end of the 2021–22 season was confirmed.[9]

Salernitana

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On 19 July 2022, Sambia signed a four-year contract with Salernitana in Italy.[10]

On 30 August 2024, Sambia was loaned by Empoli.[11]

Personal life

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Sambia's parents are from the Central African Republic.[citation needed] In April 2020, Sambia was hospitalised after becoming ill and unconscious and was treated in intensive care. He tested positive for COVID-19 and was placed into an artificial coma.[12] However, he eventually recovered.[13][14]

Career statistics

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As of match played 25 May 2024[2][6]
Appearance and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Chamois Niortais 2014–15 Ligue 2 5 0 0 0 0 0 5 0
2015–16 Ligue 2 31 2 4 0 0 0 35 2
2016–17 Ligue 2 37 4 4 0 1[a] 0 42 4
2017–18 Ligue 2 3 0 0 0 1[a] 0 4 0
Total 76 6 8 0 2 0 86 6
Chamois Niortais B 2015–16 CFA 2 5 0 5 0
Montpellier (loan) 2017–18 Ligue 1 28 1 2 1 4[a] 1 34 3
Montpellier 2018–19 Ligue 1 30 0 1 0 1[a] 0 32 0
2019–20 Ligue 1 17 1 3 0 2[a] 0 22 1
2020–21 Ligue 1 36 1 5 0 41 1
2021–22 Ligue 1 30 1 3 0 33 1
Total 141 4 14 1 7 1 162 6
Montpellier B 2017–18 National 3 1 0 1 0
2018–19 National 3 3 0 3 0
2019–20 National 2 3 1 3 1
7 1 7 1
Salernitana 2022–23 Serie A 22 0 0 0 0 0 22 0
2023–24 Serie A 18 1 2 0 0 0 20 1
Total 40 1 2 0 0 0 42 1
Career total 269 12 24 1 9 1 302 14
  1. ^ a b c d e Appearance(s) in the Coupe de la Ligue

References

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  1. ^ "La fiche de Salomon Sambia". LFP.fr. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
  2. ^ a b c "Salomon Sambia". foot-national.com. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
  3. ^ "Junior Sambia". U.S. Salernitana 1919. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  4. ^ "Junior Sambia". chamoisniortais.fr. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
  5. ^ a b c Philippe Blais (24 July 2014). "Batisse et Sambia: les élèves pros". La Nouvelle République. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
  6. ^ a b "Junior Sambia". FootballDatabase.eu. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
  7. ^ Philippe Jounier (19 March 2015). "Ils travaillent dans l'ombre". La Nouvelle République. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
  8. ^ Castanheira, Julien (23 August 2017). "Officiel - Junior Sambia rejoint le MHSC". Ouest-France (in French). Retrieved 20 April 2021.
  9. ^ "Montpellier confirm exits of five senior players including Junior Sambia, Mihailo Ristić & Nicholas Gioacchini". Get French Football News. 23 May 2022. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  10. ^ "SALOMON JUNIOR SAMBIA È UN NUOVO GIOCATORE DELLA SALERNITANA" (in Italian). Salernitana. 19 July 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  11. ^ "Junior Sambia è un nuovo calciatore azzurro" [Junior Sambia is a new footballer] (in Italian). Empoli. 30 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  12. ^ Monaghan, Matt. "Why Junior Sambia is most-important footballer in Europe, as big leagues plot returns - Sport360 News". sport360.com. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
  13. ^ "Nouvelles rassurantes pour Junior Sambia sorti du coma". midilibre.fr. 25 April 2020.
  14. ^ "Montpellier player out of coma, recovering - agent". ESPN.com. 27 April 2020. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
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