Full name Jonas Ramalho Chimeno Weight 68 kg Number 4 Height 1.81 m | Playing position Role Footballer Name Jonas Ramalho Career start 2009 | |
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Date of birth (1993-06-10) 10 June 1993 (age 22) Profiles | ||
Jonás Ramalho Chimeno (born 10 June 1993) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Girona FC as a central defender.
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He was the first mixed-race player to play for Athletic Bilbao – who only field Basque players – in an official competition.
Club career
Ramalho was born in Barakaldo, Biscay, to a Basque mother and an Angolan father. A product of Athletic Bilbao's famed youth system at Lezama, he first appeared with the main squad at only 14, featuring as a substitute in a friendly match against SD Amorebieta to become its youngest player of all time. As a senior, he had only played once for the reserves when he received his first call-up for the first team, being named in the 18-man list for a UEFA Europa League match at home to SV Werder Bremen, filling in for regular Andoni Iraola as the side was already qualified; however, he did not leave the bench in the 0–3 group stage home loss, on 16 December 2009.
Ramalho made his La Liga debut on 20 November 2011 at the age of 18 years and five months, sent on by coach Marcelo Bielsa to play the last five minutes in place of Fernando Llorente a 2–1 away win against Sevilla FC. On 2 August of the following year he made his first appearance in European competition, starting in a 3–1 home win over NK Slaven Belupo for the season's UEFA Europa League.
In 2013, Ramalho was loaned to Girona FC, playing regularly in two Segunda División seasons for the Catalan club. In May 2015, shortly after suffering a serious knee injury away to Deportivo Alavés, he signed a new contract to keep him at Athletic for the upcoming campaign.
On 7 June 2016, after suffering relegation with the B-side, Ramalho was released. Late in the month he returned to Girona, now in a permanent deal.
International career
Ramalho was part of the Spanish under-19 squads which won the European Championship in 2011 and 2012. With the team already qualified for the knockout stages as group winners, he was fielded by coach Ginés Meléndez for the final group game in the former competition in Chiajna, scoring an own goal which opened a 3–0 victory for Turkey.