Moroccan Defender Chadi Riad Makes Barcelona First-Team Debut Against Osasuna

Chadi Riad, 19 years old, had been called up this summer to do the pre-season with the first team and Xavi Hernandez had already summoned him for the matches against Almería and Celta. But the young Moroccan defender only made his debut in an official competition on Tuesday during the match against Osasuna. He came on in the 89th minute of play, replacing Pedri.

Chadi Riad arrived at FC Barcelona three and a half years ago, after leaving the youth academy of RCD Mallorca. He started playing football from the age of 6 at Atlético Rafal, where he was noticed very early on, which led him to RCD Mallorca. He then had a brief experience in San Francisco before returning to Majorca. He also played for the Moroccan under-15 national team, according to Ultima Hora.

"He has speed, good ball control, he is powerful in the air... He is a real gem and I don’t understand how Real Mallorca didn’t do anything to keep him," said observers who followed his career until his arrival at FC Barcelona. He played a key role in the success of Barça’s first team, which won the league and the Champions Cup, and is considered one of the club’s future central defenders.

The young central defender witnessed Gerard Piqué’s last match as a FC Barcelona player. His departure could be an opportunity for Chadi Riad who is on the right track and already enjoys the trust of coach Xavi Hernandez.