The Story of Karim Adeyemi: A Speedy Football Talent with Roots in Ibadan

You might have noticed he is blazingly fast. Karim Adeyemi once made a revelation about the origin of his pace which comes from one of his parents.

As a child, he often go roller-skating with his mom and that has always been the mother-son thing.

Karim Adeyemi’s father left Ibadan (in Nigeria) to pursue a football career in Germany. He went to the country, not as a youngster but as a late bloomer.

His Mum, Alexandra Adeyemi, is well educated – a Geographer and graduate of the University of Bucharest (Romania), Faculty of Geography (Facultatea de Geografie).

We’ll tell you the story of a loner who once did not like going to school (as a child) and who Bayern Munich gave a heartbreak (chased him out of their academy) simply because of a misunderstanding.

The Story of Karim Adeyemi: A Speedy Football Talent with Roots in Ibadan.

The Story of Karim Adeyemi: A Speedy Football Talent with Roots in Ibadan.

This article on Karim Adeyemi tells you Facts about his Childhood Story, Early Life, Parents Abbey Adeyemi (Father), Alexandra Adeyemi (Mother), Family members, Family Background, Girlfriend/Wife to be, Siblings, etc.

More so, the Lifestyle, Personal Life and Net Worth of the Baller who has a Nigerian Origin.

In simple terms, this memoir is about the Life History of Karim Adeyemi. Our version of Karim Adeyemi’s Life Story begins with his Early Footballing days in Munich (Germany) and Ibadan (Nigeria).

We then proceed to tell you about his troubles at Bayern Munich Academy and what he did to become successful in the beautiful game of football.

Now, to whet your footballing appetite on the engaging nature of Karim Adeyemi’s story, our team has deemed it fit to show you his Boyhood to Success gallery.

Karim Adeyemi Biography Facts - From his Early Years to the moment of Fame.

Karim Adeyemi History – From his Early Years to the Moment of Fame.

Yes, we consider him, alongside Jamal Musiala and Kai Havertz, as big elements of German football. We all know the striker is quick, has a great burst of acceleration, ball trickery and an expert eye for scoring goals.

Despite the praises for his style of play, we notice that only a few football fans have read an in-depth version of Karim Adeyemi’s Story.

We’ve prepared it – for your reading pleasure. Now, without wasting any further of your time, let’s tell you about the Baller’s history.

Karim Adeyemi Childhood Story:

For starters, he bears the full name – Karim-David Adeyemi. He was born on the 18th day of January 2002 to his mother, Alexandra Adeyemi, and father, Abbey Adeyemi, in the city of Munich, Germany.

So far as research can tell, the German professional footballer is the only child, born of the blessed union between his Dad and Mum, whom we have pictured here.

Behold Karim Adeyemi’s parents – persons who mean the world to him and whom he can never trade for anything.

This is Karim Adeyemi's parents. His mother's name is Alexandra, while his father's name is Abbey.

This is Karim Adeyemi’s parents. His mother’s name is Alexandra, while his father’s name is Abbey.

Early Life and Growing-Up Years:

The German footballer had his upbringing in a multiracial household. Starting off, Karim Adeyemi’s father is a Nigerian.

Abbey’s Nigerian state of origin is Ibadan. Karim Adeyemi’s Mother (Alexandra Adeyemi), on the other hand, is a Romanian.

Forstenried district, an area in the far southwest of the city of Munich, was where Adeyemi spent most of his boyhood years.

Similar to French footballer Aurélien Tchouaméni, his childhood years were centred on the quest to redeem his father’s lost identity in football.

As a child, Karim was very close to his Dog – who often slept on his bed. The boy also kept a single friend whom he loved to have around.

Out of love for football, Karim made his parents buy him a grass carpet – which has the lines of a football pitch.

The Early years of Karim Adeyemi.

The Early years of Karim Adeyemi.

When asked, Karim said he vividly remembers when he first played soccer, probably at two – when his Dad gave him the ball in the cradle. Little did he know his Daddy was passing on his trade to him.

Karim Adeyemi Family Background:

The football sensation hails from a middle-class household whose passion for football runs through every member.

We classify Karim Adeyemi’s parents as not rich but the happy type who lived in one of those peripheral neighbourhoods of Munich’s Forstenried district.

Starting with his Mum, she is well educated – a Geographer.

Alexandra Adeyemi is a graduate of the University of Bucharest (Romania), Faculty of Geography (Facultatea de Geografie). After graduating and coming to Germany, she got a job with SpVgg Unterhaching.

How Karim Adeyemi’s Parents met:

Alexandra and Abbey’s meeting was seen as divine by those who knew them well. Surprisingly, it had something to do with racism in football.

In the 1990s, Karim Adeyemi’s father left Ibadan (in Nigeria) to pursue a football career in Germany. He went to the country, not as a youngster but as a late bloomer.

While living in Germany, Abbey Adeyemi was confronted not just with an unprecedented form of racism but the fact that he couldn’t meet the demands of professional football.

At the age of 30, he felt that he was already too old to make it in the sport. Sadly, Karim Adeyemi’s Dad abandoned football.

After retiring, Abbey went on to live in the suburbs of Munich, where he earned a living doing different middle-income jobs.

In that city lived Karim Adeyemi’s mother, a woman who also suffered racism. Both met, shared their experiences, and fell in love in the process.

The Quest to Fulfil the Family Dream:

Reflecting on the sad experience of a failed football career, one thing became certain for Karim Adeyemi’s father (Abbey).

He vowed to make his son (Karim) keep alive the family’s football dream. To prepare him, the foresighted Dad first allowed little Karim to visit Nigeria.

The idea to travel to West Africa wasn’t only about getting acquainted with extended family members (Uncles, Aunts, Cousins, Nephews, Nieces and Grandparents, etc.).

For Abbey, it was about making sure his son honed his football skills on the rough streets of Ibadan – where he started his own career.

Wearing a Bayern Munich shirt, Karim Adeyemi learned football on the hard grounds of Yoruba city.

Back then, the precocious whiz kid would have his fans (sitting at the road edges) admiring his sublime ball control and that knack of drifting past his opponents.

A rare childhood photo of Karim Adeyemi. He is spotted playing street football in the city of Ibadan, Nigeria.

A rare childhood photo of Karim Adeyemi. He is spotted playing street football in the city of Ibadan, Nigeria.

When Karim Adeyemi wasn’t playing with people, he always loved to train alone – in the untarred streets of Ibadan, Nigeria.

He watched videos of Ronaldinho and used moments like this to gain lots of skills – a feat that defined the footballer he later became in life.

He watched videos of Ronaldinho and used that to improve his dribbling skills.

He watched videos of Ronaldinho and used that to improve his dribbling skills.

Karim Adeyemi Family Origin:

Because of his maternal and paternal ancestry, we identify the footballer in three ways.

First, Karim Adeyemi is a German-Nigerian due to his Dad’s Nigerian family origin. Secondly, he is a German-Romanian – thanks to his Mum’s Romanian roots.

Further research was made to determine Karim Adeyemi’s family origin. It indicates two cities (in Romania and Nigeria) as the places his parents come from.

We already know Ibadan as the city of his Dad (Abbey). Karim Adeyemi’s Mother (Alexandra) is from BraÈ™ov, a town in Romania.

This is Ibadan and Brașov. It explains Karim Adeyemi's family origin. His Dad is from Ibadan, while his Mum is from Brasov.

This is Ibadan and BraÈ™ov. It explains Karim Adeyemi’s family origin. His Dad is from Ibadan, while his Mum is from Brasov.

Karim Adeyemi’s ethnicity, as it relates to his paternal and maternal origin, is traced to two groups. They are languages from Nigeria (his father’s side) and Romania (his mother’s origin).

The first is the Yoruba ethnic group, spoken by the Ibadan people of southwest Nigeria.

Next is the Romani language spoken by Karim Adeyemi’s family relatives who live in BraÈ™ov, Romania. It is also pertinent to note that Karim also speaks the German Bavarian dialect.

Ibadan, where Karim's father comes from, is in South-West Nigeria. Brașov - the place of his mother - is located in Central Romania.

Ibadan, where Karim’s father comes from, is in South-West Nigeria. BraÈ™ov – the place of his mother – is located in Central Romania.

Karim Adeyemi Education:

When the time came right, Abbe and Alexandra enrolled their son into a soccer school that suited his ilk. Karim Adeyemi attended The Walter Klingenbeck School.

This educational institution is at the Taufkirchen sports and leisure park in Munich. It has a large sports facility, and that favoured Karim’s ambition to become a footballer.

This is Karim Adeyemi with his school friends.

This is Karim Adeyemi with his school friends.

The Walter-Klingenbeck-Schule – which Karim attended – is a partner football school of FC Bayern Munich. DFB has certified the soccer school as an elite educational institution for children’s football.

Career Build-Up

As a child, the youngster never liked school, and this behaviour followed him right until his teenage years. It has always been Karim Adeyemi’s idea to compromise his education for football training.

Understanding his desires, his parents enrolled him with TSV Forstenried.

In the academy, Karim wasted no time in becoming their most valued kid footballer. By winning this accolade, the biggest club in Germany (Bayern Munich) was alerted.

Early Football Story:

While at TSV Forstenried, his performance got the attention of Bayern Munich scouts, who advised his Dad to bring him for trials.

Karim Adeyemi passed with flying colours, and at the age of eight, he, alongside others (who made it), got enrolled in the club’s academy roster.

Can you spot Karim Adeyemi in Bayern Munich colours?

Can you spot Karim Adeyemi in Bayern Munich colours?

The youngster used the soccer drills he had as a child to produce a good start with Bayern Munich academy.

Blessed with unimaginable speed for his age, Karim became the sort of kid who could do just anything with the ball. In fact, no kid could beat him in a run.

Karim Adeyemi Bayern Munich Story - He had an exceptional start at the academy.

Karim Adeyemi Bayern Munich Story – He had an exceptional start at the academy.

Landing in Trouble – The Bayern Munich Rejection Story:

Social interaction with other kids in the academy became a difficult thing for Adeyemi. This was partly due to his personality and mostly because of the boy’s lack of interest in school.

Going to school would have helped Karim not just learn but also interact with other kids.

From a football point of view, young Adeyemi was exceptional – better than most kids. However, the effect of lack of social interaction made his trainer not understand him.

Soon, a dispute broke out, and Bayern Munich’s academy accused Karim of lacking discipline.

The effect of such an accusation led to a catastrophic turnout of events – with Karim Adeyemi being the sole culprit and victim. Giving their verdict, Bayern Munich ended up releasing the poor boy from their academy.

The Journey to Fame:

Any aspiring footballer who has lived through an academy rejection knows the damaging psychological consequence and deep emotional pain that comes with it.

As expected, Karim Adeyemi’s parents reassured and consoled him during this difficult phase of his life.

Moving On:

At last, there came hope for the youngster, as another academy – not far from his family home – wholeheartedly accepted him.

A happy Karim Adeyemi, at the age of 10, joined SpVgg Unterhaching. This is a football academy located in the semi-rural municipality on the southern outskirts of Munich.

In case you are not aware, Karim Adeyemi’s mother (Alexandra) worked at SpVgg – at that time.

This is Karim Adeyemi with his teammates at SpVgg Unterhaching. The academy where his mother worked accepted him after Bayern's rejection.

This is Karim Adeyemi with his teammates at SpVgg Unterhaching. The academy where his mother worked accepted him after Bayern’s rejection.

The deal that made him fall in love with Schooling:

When it seemed like no one could manage the boy, one man – by the name of Manfred Schwabl, became the person who changed Karim Adeyemi’s social life.

This man (pictured below) made the boy have a U-Turn first, in the area of going to school and second, in social interaction.

The children’s mentor and former West Germany midfielder said what he observed in Karim;

Manfred Schwabl managed Karim after he was released from Bayern Academy.

Manfred Schwabl managed Karim after he was released from Bayern Academy.

Social interaction was difficult, and the boy was hardly interested in school. That’s why I took care of the Karim a little.

To make things work out, Manfred Schwabl struck a deal with Karim. He told him that there would be NO PLACE for him at the academy (SpVgg Unterhaching) if he didn’t attend school classes. He mandated that;

If Karim does not do school homework or does not do to study, he is not allowed to train.

I have ordered game bans on him if he does not meet these conditions.

Thankfully, the boy agreed to the deal. On regular occasions, Manfred Schwabl followed up with Karim Adeyemi’s school principal and his teachers.

He enquired if he had done his homework and attended class. This close supervision saw Karim finally breaking through on his books.

Happiness at last for the youngster. Karim joined a football academy where he was much loved and made to read his books.

Happiness at last for the youngster. Karim joined a football academy where he was much loved and made to read his books.

Success Story:

After progressing through SpVgg youth departments, the Footballer graduated from their academy in 2018.

Following his graduation, Karim featured in the A-Junioren-Bundesliga, scoring on his debut, a feat that earned him a move to the Austrian club – Red Bull Salzburg.

For the first time, the Speedster left his family in Germany for a new life in Austria.

Due to the need to gather senior football experience, Red Bull Salzburg loaned Karim for a season-long loan to their feeder club – FC Liefering.

Returning from Loan, Karim Adeyemi’s football exploded with Salzburg. He, alongside stars like Patson Daka, formed a formidable partnership with Erling Haaland, who later left for the German Club – Borussia Dortmund.

With persons like Enock Mwepu providing midfield support, it became easy for Karim not just to score goals but to destroy opposing players and goalkeepers.

In no time, senior career trophies started pouring in for the teenage sensation.

Karim Adeyemi helped his Salzburg side (for two consecutive seasons) win the Austrian Bundesliga and the Austrian Cup.

Further on-pitch partnerships with Junior Adamu, Swiss star Noah Okafor, and Brenden Aaronson came after the departure of Patson Daka to Leicester.

Karim Adeyemi Success Story with Red Bull Salzburg.

Karim Adeyemi Success Story with Red Bull Salzburg.

Germany U21 Glory:

Having previously represented Germany in their U16s and U17s, Karim’s Salzburg rise made Stefan Kuntz (German U21 coach) invite him to the UEFA European Under-21 Championship. Guess what! Adeyemi and his teammates conquered the world to win it.

Karim Adeyemi Success Story - The UEFA Under-21 Championships.

Karim Adeyemi Success Story – The UEFA Under-21 Championships.

The German National Call:

After Florian Wirtz’s call to the national team by Joachim Low, everyone knew Karim was next in line – following his sublime performances with Red Bull Salzburg.

The new German manager (Hansi-Dieter Flick) finally called him to the national team in September 2021.

Karim came in as a late substitute for Serge Gnabry in a FIFA World Cup qualification match against Armenia.

To the joy of his family, the rising star scored the 6th goal in the match. Watch the unforgettable moment that would forever linger in the mind of Adeyemi.

By getting called to the German national team, Karim Adeyemi (since the post-war period) became the first footballer from an Austrian club to achieve this feat.

Let alone scoring on his debut – during injury time. According to DW, that puts him on the verge of a big move.

What a proud moment for Karim Adeyemi's Family. Representing Germany and scoring on his Debut - All at the age of 19.

What a proud moment for Karim Adeyemi’s Family. Representing Germany and scoring on his Debut – All at the age of 19.

Yes, Football fans are on the verge of witnessing the next Arjen Robben – pushing his way into becoming a world-class striker.

Karim Adeyemi is indeed one of the best in Germany’s production line of forwards. The rest of his article, as we always say, is now history.

Karim Adeyemi Personal Life:

This section of our article unveils facts about his personality. Now, a question – Outside everything he does for us on the pitch, who is Karim Adeyemi?

First, he is someone who feels very comfortable in his own style. Karim’s friends describe him as cool, calm and collected.

Away from football, he loves to be in the right places and never gets into trouble. Karim lives a normal life that is centred around his career growth.

Karim Adeyemi Personal Life - EXPLAINED.

Karim Adeyemi Personal Life – EXPLAINED.

When you see Karim (during summer) outside his house, you are likely to notice him wearing his favourite sunglasses.

He even wears it to do training – in his neighbourhood. The German Nigerian is someone who believes he needs to be good (always) at what he does.

Karim loves sunglasses because they prevent UV rays from easily penetrating his handsome eyes.

Karim loves sunglasses because they prevent UV rays from easily penetrating his handsome eyes.

Karim Adeyemi Lifestyle:

Back in the day, people described him as a loner, someone who speaks very little. In fact, you’ll have to tickle Karim Adeyemi or do something extraordinary to make him have a social relationship.

These days, things have changed, and his new Lifestyle portrays someone who loves to associate and bond well with friends.

Karim no longer gets pleasure and satisfaction from solitude – which he did during his days with Bayern Munich academy.

Gone are the old days of being a loner. German professional footballer now reaches out his hand in friendship.

Gone are the old days of being a loner. German professional footballer now reaches out his hand in friendship.

Karim Adeyemi Car – What Does He Drive?

Unlike Maxwel Cornet, you’ll hardly find him eating at posh restaurants. But you’ll definitely see Karim in his Toyota car going back home from training and also stopping by to sign autographs. The footballer has no Gucci bag or coloured hairstyle – but a kind heart.

We got to know Karim Adeyemi's car at the time he signed an autograph for a Salzburg fan.

We got to know Karim Adeyemi’s car at the time he signed an autograph for a Salzburg fan.

What a friendly gesture and a sign of his down-to-earth nature. Karim Adeyemi made the Salzburg fan happy as he delivered him a signed jersey.

This attitude of not hesitating to grant autograph requests gives you a glimpse of his humble nature.

Making people happy is the Footballer's daily medicine.

Making people happy is the Footballer’s daily medicine.

Karim Adeyemi Family Life:

When the going got through for him with Bayern Munich, his Dad and Mum were the ones who stood by him the most.

This section of our Bio tells you more about Karim Adeyemi’s parents as well as other family members. Let’s start with Abbey – the head of the family.

About Karim Adeyemi Father:

Abbey is a man who loves his family roots and made his son embrace it – early on in his life. This is a man who suffered racism a lot in Germany.

During Karim’s boyhood days, Abbey made him understand the situation, and that prepared him.

Speaking about how his Dad taught Karim how to react to racism, Karim said;

Karim Adeyemi takes a photo with his Dad on the day of his Die Mannschaft debut.

Karim Adeyemi takes a photo with his Dad on the day of his Die Mannschaft debut.

Yes, as a child I was confronted with racism more often. My mother in particular suffered from it.

My Dad prepared me for this early on. That I should point out to the person, for the first time, not to say racist words to me.

And if that person did it again, I could clash with him. Fortunately, I have experienced this just once in my life.

About Karim Adeyemi’s Mother:

In case you are not aware, Alexandra was once active in sports – just like Abbey. Karim Adeyemi’s Mum took part in roller-skating sports during her early years.

Alexandra is in her mid-40s (at the time of writing this Bio), and she was born in Brasov, Romania.

Karim Adeyemi’s Mother follows the path of her son with great pride. Research has it she takes care of football kids for SpVgg Unterhaching. This is the academy that accepted her son when Bayern Munich released him.

This is Alexandra, Karim Adeyemi Mother. She feels so excited to watch her son play for the German national team - for the first time.

This is Alexandra, Karim Adeyemi Mother. She feels so excited to watch her son play for the German national team – for the first time.

Similar to her husband’s approach to not forgetting one’s origin, Karim Adeyemi’s Mom also made her son identify with his Romanian family roots.

As a child, Karim often visited her birthplace, Brasov, in the heart of the mountainous Carpathian region. The footballer even went as far as retaining a few chunks of Romanian words to this day.

According to Karim, his mother’s language is similar to Spanish because of its Romance origins. Most words spoken by Romanian people have endings in the letter U.

Speaking about Alexander’s strong bond with her origin (Romania), the super Mum once said,

I still feel a strong bond with Romania. It’s my home. Karim’s grandmother still lives in Brasov.

As a sign of her great love for her country, Alexandra’s greatest wish is to see Romania’s quality for the FIFA World Cup. The last time they did that was in 1998.

Karim Adeyemi Relatives:

Surely, with a hundred per cent certainty, the German footballer has extended family in the ancient Yoruba city of Ibadan, Nigeria. These are people from his father’s side (uncles, aunties, cousins, etc) whom he once visited as a child.

Speaking of Karim Adeyemi’s maternal relatives (in Romania), close to him remains his grandmother. She lives in Brasov – at the time of writing.

About Karim Adeyemi Siblings:

Results from research show that the Baller is likely to be the only son of his parents.

There is little or no documentation regarding the existence of someone who identifies him or herself as Karim Adeyemi’s brother or sister. We’ll keep you posted about updates on this.

Karim Adeyemi Untold Facts:

In the last phase of this memoir, we’ll tell you more truths about the talent from Unterhaching who is causing a boom in the business of youth football. Without further ado, let’s begin.

Comparing Karim Adeyemi’s Salary to the Average Citizens of Nigeria and Romania – The Country of his Parents:

First, we use this table to serve as a breakdown of his earnings with Red Bull Salzburg.

In the country of his mother’s origin, the average Romanian who makes 3,300 RON per month would need 19 years to make his salary with Red Bull Salzburg.

Whereas, in the country of Karim Adeyemi’s African origin, the average Nigerian earns ₦150,000 naira every month.

Such a citizen would need three years and four months to make what Karim receives WEEKLY with Red Bull Salzburg.

How he learnt to Run Fast:

You might have noticed he is blazingly fast. In a recent interview, Karim Adeyemi made a revelation about the origin of his pace. He said;

As a child, I often go roller-skating with my mom. It’s always been the mother-son thing. That’s where my speed comes from.

Karim Adeyemi Profile:

Acceleration, Speed, Agility and Jumping are his greatest assets – both in real life and on FIFA.

In terms of movement, Karim is very much comparable to Jeremy Doku (Belgian forward), Ismaila Sarr (Senegalese forward) and Rafael Leao (Portuguese forward).

Karim Adeyemi Religion:

The German has a mixture of both Christian and Arabic names – which leaves confusion as to the faith he belongs to.

Research findings on the web point to Karim Adeyemi’s Religion as Islam – similar to his Dad. On the other hand, his Mum (Alexandra) is a Christian.

Conclusion:

Abbey, a Nigerian Dad and Alexandra, a Romanian Mum, are the proud parents of Karim Adeyemi. The German spent his early years in his old home, at Forstenried district, a Munich suburb. He grew up as a quiet kid who didn’t enjoy schooling and socializing.

It was hard for Abbey Adeyemi to deal with the failures he had as a footballer. Because of this, he vowed to make his son continue living his dreams. The first steps of the game began right from their Munich family home – when the youngster was still in the cradle.

In the hard ground of Ibadan, Nigeria – the country of his paternal family origin, Karim Adeyemi’s Dad made him hone his footballing skills in preparation for his future. His Mum, Alexandra, guided him in roller skating, which helped him to be blazingly fast.

At TSV Forstenried, Adeyemi received his first football education. After winning some honours with them, scouts from FC Bayern Munich quickly became aware of the fast and tricky boy. That made him join the academy of the biggest club in German football.

Sadly, little Karim was on the wrong books at Bayern Munich Academy before suffering what we call a heartbreak.

His beloved boyhood club released him – citing behavioural issues. However, as one door closed, another opened for the youngster.

Fortunately, Karim Adeyemi’s Mum’s place of work SpVgg accepted him. While there, Manfred Schwabl helped him grow to love schooling and social interaction. That changed Karim Adeyemi’s Life forever.

Thanks for reading one of Germany’s most promising soccer jewels. Kindly let us know if you spot something that doesn’t look right on Karim Adeyemi’s story. We would also appreciate your thoughts on him in the comment section.

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