If there’s a player who is both underappreciated and deeply loved, it’s Emi Buendía, the son of Karina and Eduardo. Many football fans wonder what happened to Emi after his standout days with Norwich City. The truth is, a serious knee injury during training sidelined him for nine months. Beyond his professional struggles, we’re here to share the untold story of this Argentine attacking midfielder.
Once a Boy from Mar del Plata: Emi Buendia’s Path to Stardom
Born to Karina and Eduardo Buendía, Emi grew up in Mar del Plata, his Argentine hometown, with his two younger brothers, Augustin and Joaquin. From a young age, he was obsessed with football, showcasing impressive speed and stamina that hinted at a promising future. By the time he was five, Emi was already playing for the local club Cadetes de San Martín while balancing his studies at the Peralta Ramos Institute.
At just 11 years old, Buendía joined Real Madrid, but he struggled to make a mark on their artificial turf pitches. This article dives into Emi Buendía’s life, his challenges with Real Madrid, and other lesser-known aspects of his journey. Before we get started, take a look at this photo gallery that showcases Emi Buendía’s journey—from his early days as an adorable little boy to his rise to fame with Norwich City.
Discover Emi Buendía Biography – We’ll take you through Emi Buendía’s life, from his childhood to today, uncovering the journey of Argentina’s football genius.
Emi Buendia Childhood Story – Early Life and Family Background:
To start his biography, Emiliano Buendía Stati was born on December 25, 1996, in Mar del Plata, a city in the southeast of Buenos Aires, Argentina. He is the son of Karina and Eduardo Buendía. Emi shares his birthplace of Mar del Plata with fellow footballers Matías Soule and Emiliano Martínez.
Emi Buendia parents Karina and Eduardo.
Born in Argentina—a country renowned for producing football legends like Maradona and Lionel Messi—Buendía proudly identifies as an Argentine of white ethnicity with South American roots. He was raised in his hometown of Mar del Plata, where he grew up with his two younger brothers, Augustin and Joaquin.
Childhood Photo of Emi Buendia (left) growing up at his home city with younger brother Augustin.
Growing up in Mar del Plata, Buendia was a very small boy who was arguably bigger than no other kids but his brothers. Notwithstanding, he thought more about football than anything else and possessed features like speed and stamina, which spoke well of his future in the sport.
Education and Career Buildup:
By the time Buendía turned 5, he had started playing football for the local club Cadetes de San Martín. He balanced this with his studies at the Peralta Ramos Institute in his hometown of Mar del Plata.
Emi Buendia began his career buildup at boyhood club Cadetes de San Martín.
During his six years at Cadetes de San Martín, Buendía honed his skills playing small-sided indoor games. His impressive technical abilities and tactical intelligence, despite his young age and small stature, caught the eye of former Argentina international Juan Esnáider. Esnáider recommended that Buendía pursue his football career further at the Real Madrid Academy.
Emi Buendia Bio – Early Career Life:
When Buendía joined Real Madrid at the age of 11, he was still a bit short and struggled to make an impact on the artificial turf pitches. Despite his efforts, he found it challenging to prove himself during that time.
Emi Buendia arrived at Real Madrid Academy as a small 11-year-old kid in 2008.
Buendía’s late physical development and struggle to keep up with the fast pace of the game led to his departure from Real Madrid after two years. Fortunately, just days after leaving the club, he was picked up by Getafe, who quickly signed him.
Road To Fame Story:
The young Emi Buendía quickly settled into Marc Cucurella‘s former team, Getafe. There, he made impressive strides in both height and skill, earning a spot on the club’s reserve team by the age of 17.
His career seemed to be on a steady rise until the 2015/16 season, when Getafe faced relegation from La Liga. This setback was compounded by an injury that kept Buendía sidelined for a while.
As Getafe eventually recovered from relegation, Buendía was often seen on the bench, struggling to regain his form due to an ankle injury.
Emi Buendia’s rise at Getafe was marred by relegation and injuries.
Emi Buendia Biography – Rise To Fame Story:
A fully recovered Buendia was eventually loaned to the second-tier club, Cultural Leonesa, in July 2017 to redeem himself.
The move took an unforeseen twist to become a catalyst for Buendia’s success, as he fared exceptionally well in attacking midfield.
By the end of the season, Buendia had reasons to smile again as he clinched Leonesa’s Player of the Season award!
Emi Buendia was the Cultural Leonesa player of the 2017-2018 season.
Norwich soon came calling for Buendia, who looked fit for their plans of getting back into the premier league.
Upon signing a four-year deal with the then-relegated side, Buendia played up to expectations as he scored a total of 8 goals in the English Football League (EFL) to help Norwich get promoted to the Premier League.
Fast forward to date, Buendia has established himself as a premier league midfielder at Norwich, where he is expected to continue playing top-flight football until 2024.
Emi Buendia signed a new contract with Norwich City in July 2019.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Emi Buendia’s Wife – Claudia:
It’s a bit tricky to pinpoint the exact status of Emi Buendía’s relationship at the moment. However, he seems to be somewhere between dating and marriage. The woman in his life, who appears in various photos, is named Claudia.
Emi Buendia with his girlfriend or wag Claudia. Image Credit: Instagram.
While it’s not clear if Emi Buendía had any past romantic relationships before meeting Claudia, we do know that the couple has been together since before 2018 and they have a son named Thiago.
Emi Buendia with his wife and son Thiago. Image Credit: Instagram.
Emi Buendia Family Life:
Emi Buendia is from a happy and middle-class family background. Behold details about his family life.
About Emi Buendia’s Father:
Eduardo is Buendia’s dad. Like all supporting football parents, he saw to Buendía’s welfare during his career build-up at Madrid and the youth systems of Getafe by making constant visits to the football genius, even when stats spoke against the aspiring footballer’s favour.
The bond between the father of three and Buendia continues to wax stronger as the attacking midfielder never relents on making his family proud, whether on or off the field of play.
About Emi Buendia’s Mother:
Carina Is Buendia’s mom and arguably the woman after Buendía’s heart.
Above all, she is the custodian of stories regarding the family’s sacrifice to ensure that Buendia’s dreams of playing top-flight football became a success.
She shares in the family’s new fame by appearing in photos that capture Buendia spending quality time with family as well as taking selfies with him when they go on outings.
About Emi Buendia’s Siblings:
Buendia has two siblings identified as Augustin and Joaquin. The duo are not living under Buendia’s shadows but faring well in their own career paths and interests.
They hang out with Buendia whenever he is on vacation and help him evoke memories of the good old days’ experiences they had as kids.
Emi Buendia with parents and two brothers.Image Credit: Instagram.
About Emi Buendia’s Relatives:
Regarding Buendia’s larger family tree, his paternal and maternal grandparents are one of football’s unravelled mysteries, while there are no available records of his uncles, aunts, nieces, and nephews.
Similarly, Buendía’s cousins are yet to be identified in notable events of his life and rise to date.
Personality:
Buendía has an extraordinary go-with-the-flow personality, which ultimately makes him possess a unique persona. In addition, he exhibits Aquarius zodiac traits of being Analytical and action-focused.
Away from playing competitive games and attending training, Buendía has a few interests and hobbies that include watching movies, listening to music, swimming and playing tennis.
Buendia plays Paddle Tennis as a pastime activity. Image Credit: Instagram.
Lifestyle:
Let’s talk about how Emi Buendía earns and spends his money. His net worth primarily comes from his salary as a top-flight footballer. He also boosts his income through endorsements with brands like Nike.
Though we’re still looking into the details of his spending habits on assets like cars and houses, it’s clear that Buendía enjoys a luxurious lifestyle. He often spends quality time vacationing at beautiful destinations around the world.
Emi Buendia was enjoying his vacation at a beach in Miami.
Untold Facts:
Before we call it a wrap on Emi Buendía’s Biography, please find below some facts. Truths that may help you know him better.
Emi Buendia Religion:
The footballer has not been quoted making statements that could pass for an article of faith. Neither has he been spotted giving thanks to a higher being while playing football. However, the odds are in favour of him being Christian.
International Commitment:
Buendia started his international football career by representing Spain as a youth. Before he switched allegiance to play for Argentina’s national side.
Emi Buendia played for Argentina’s U20 team in 2015. Image Credit: AlongComeNorwich.
Does Emi Buendia love tattoos?
He does not have a single tattoo on his body. Also, he strikes many as one who might keep a spotless skin for the better part of his career.
Fact Check:
Thanks for reading the story of Emi Buendía, a footballer who, as I write this, is gearing up for a major career comeback after being sidelined for nine months due to an injury. We strive for accuracy and fairness. Aside from Emi Buendia’s Bio, we’ve got other Argentine Soccer Stories that’ll interest you.
The Life History of Lautaro Martinez and Nicolás Tagliafico will interest your reading pleasure. If you spot anything off in Emi Buendía’s bio, please let us know by leaving a comment below. We appreciate and value your feedback.
