Son of Former Israeli League Player Shines in Germany

Thierry Tchayemeta Junior, son of former Maccabi Netanya player Thierry Tchayemeta, is making waves in German football. The elder Tchayemeta had a brief stint with Maccabi Netanya between 2007 and 2009, scoring six goals in 30 appearances before moving on to play in Turkey and Malta, and spending most of his career in Austria, where his son was born.

Thierry Tchayemeta Junior, born in Austria in 2007, progressed through the youth ranks of Austrian club Horn and later St. Pölten. In July 2024, he joined Borussia Dortmund's U17 team, where he impressed, scoring 15 goals and providing nine assists in 27 appearances for the U19 squad. Despite his success, he was released by Dortmund in the summer and moved to Kaiserslautern in the German second division.

Tchayemeta suggested his release from Dortmund might be related to a seven-month injury layoff in 2025. "The plan was for me to play in the regional league (Dortmund II) in the summer. After that, I don't know what happened to all the promises," he stated. However, he also mentioned he had two years left on his contract and decided to leave. Dortmund's academy director, Paul Schramm, stated that Tchayemeta had progressed well and deserved to play in the second division.

Since joining Kaiserslautern, Tchayemeta has quickly become a regular starter, scoring in his second appearance against St. Pauli and again the following week against Darmstadt. Local media have compared him to Karim Adeyemi, noting their similar playing styles and career paths from Austria to Dortmund, with Adeyemi now valued at 40 million euros. While Tchayemeta experienced disappointment with Dortmund, his current situation at Kaiserslautern offers him regular playing time to develop his senior career.