Biography
Who is Joan Oumari?
Early life and family background
Joan Oumari was born in Berlin, Germany, on August 19, 1988. His parents were Lebanese Kurds who moved from Beirut to Germany in 1980 because of the Lebanese Civil War. He has two brothers, and one of them, Hassan Oumari, is also a professional football player.
His youth career started at Rot-Weiß Neukölln. He later joined the youth section of Reinickendorfer Füchse. Between 2006 and 2008, he competed in the fifth division of the Verbandsliga Berlin. During the 2007–08 season, his defensive play helped the team finish at the top of the league table.
European club career
In June 2008, Joan Oumari signed with SV Babelsberg 03, a fourth-division team, where he played alongside his brother. He made 15 league appearances during his first season there. By the 2009–10 season, the team was promoted to the 3. Liga. During this time, he transitioned from playing as a left-back to operating as a center-back.
He moved to Rot-Weiß Erfurt in 2011 on a two-year contract. He became a consistent starter for the club, appearing in 29 league games during his first season and 33 the following year. In June 2013, he transferred to FSV Frankfurt in the 2. Bundesliga, signing a two-year deal with an option for a third. Later, he played for the Turkish club Sivasspor starting in 2016.
Time in the Middle East and Japan
Joan Oumari joined the UAE Pro League side Al-Nasr in January 2017. He played 32 league games there before moving on loan to the Japanese J1 League club Sagan Tosu in 2018. He made history as the first Lebanese athlete to compete in the Japanese top division. In 2019, he signed a permanent deal with Vissel Kobe. During his time with Vissel Kobe, he helped the squad win the 2019 Emperor's Cup by defeating Kashima Antlers in the final.
In 2020, he joined FC Tokyo. He contributed to the team winning the 2020 J.League Cup after a 2–1 victory against Kashiwa Reysol. He remained with FC Tokyo until December 2021. He later returned to Sagan Tosu in February 2022 before terminating his contract by mutual consent in August of that same year.
International football career
He made his debut for the Lebanon national team on September 7, 2013, in a friendly match against Syria. Although he was initially excluded from the team by coach Giuseppe Giannini, he returned to international duty in 2015 under Miodrag Radulović. He scored his first international goal in a World Cup qualification match against Laos in November 2015.
In December 2018, he was selected for the squad participating in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. He played every minute of the three group stage matches. Later, in June 2021, he scored two goals against Sri Lanka during World Cup qualifying. This performance earned him the title of West Asia Player of the Month from the AFC.
Birthday and age
Joan Oumari was born on August 19, 1988, which makes Joan 38 years old today. That birthday falls under the Leo sign. Joan shares the date with 61 other famous people.
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