Denis Zakaria
From TheChels.info - The Chelsea Football Club Wiki
| Denis Zakaria | |
| |
| Full Name | Denis Lemi Zakaria Lako Lado |
| Date of Birth | 20 November 1996 |
| Place of Birth | Geneva, Switzerland |
| Position | Defensive midfielder |
| Chelsea career | 2022 – 2023 |
| Debut | 2 November 2023 |
| Games (goals) | 11 (1) |
| Other clubs | Servette Young Boys Borussia Mönchengladbach Juventus AS Monaco |
Denis Zakaria is a Swiss international defensive midfielder who played for Chelsea in the 2022-2023 season, on loan from Juventus.
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Before Chelsea
Zakaria began his professional career in Switzerland with Servette and then Young Boys, where his athleticism and defensive instincts caught attention. In 2017, he moved to Borussia Mönchengladbach, becoming one of the Bundesliga’s most highly rated midfielders. Known for his strong tackling, composure, and ability to carry the ball forward, he earned a move to Juventus in January 2022. However, with limited game time in Turin, he was loaned to Chelsea late in the 2022 summer transfer window.
Chelsea career
Zakaria’s loan spell at Chelsea was quiet and understated. Initially overlooked by Thomas Tuchel, he had to wait over two months to make his debut, which finally came in the Champions League against Dinamo Zagreb in November 2022—where he scored the winning goal. Despite that promising start, injuries and tactical changes under Graham Potter and later Frank Lampard restricted his involvement. He made just 11 appearances across all competitions, often providing solid if unspectacular performances when called upon.
Though he showed glimpses of his ability as a mobile, ball-winning midfielder, Chelsea opted not to trigger the option to buy. He returned to Juventus at the end of the season and later joined AS Monaco.
Statistics
| Season | Prem | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |
| 2022-23 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 |
| Total | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 |
- Correct as of the end of the 2022-23 season"
Goals
| # | Season | Date | Year | Competition | Opponent | Score | Result | Venue |
| 1 | 2022-23 | 02 November | 2022 | UEFA Champions League | Dinamo Zagreb | 2-1 | 2-1 | Stamford Bridge |
