Joel Obi

Obi 2011 jersey Inter Milan

Joel Chukwuma Obi (born 22 May 1991, Lagos) is a Nigerian football player.

Obi began his career in his native city of Lagos in Lagos NEPA, where he played in the youth team. He was taken from Inter Milan to Italy in the youth division in 2005. In the next few years he played with Inter in the Primavera Championship and won in the 2006/07 season the league title. In the wake of the midfielder acted in various other youth teams in Milan and became the 2009/10 season under Jose Mourinho called for the first time in the first team, where he remained for the time being, however, an application denied.

Under his successor, the Spaniard Rafael Benitez, Obi came in heavily occupied the middle of the Nerazzurri on 29 September 2010 to his competitive debut as a professional and was substituted in the UEFA Champions League against Werder Bremen in the 80th minute for Dejan Stanković. On 17 October 2010, he also played for the first time in Serie A and came in an away game at Cagliari Calcio used.

End of January 2011, the Parma bought a part of the transfer rights of the Nigerian. However, both clubs agreed that Obi should at least remain at the Milanese for the rest of the season 2010/11.

Also in the season 2011/12 was Obi to the A-team and the Nerazzurri celebrated his final breakthrough there: Overall, he was employed in 37 games his team 17 times he stood on the grid. In a league match against AC Cesena he also scored his first competitive goal for Milan. In January 2012, Inter also bought the part of the transfer rights to the FC Parma stopped Obi back.

This season 2012/13 it brought the young midfielder but due to various injuries to just four competitive stakes. In September 2013 he was loaned shortly before the end of the transfer window for a season at FC Parma.