Born in Germany on 25 July 1980, Cha Du-Ri is a seasoned defender who mainly serves as a right back for Seoul. At the age of 44, he stands tall at 1.81m (5ft 11in) and weighs in at 79kg (12st 6lb), donning the number 5 jersey.
In July 2002, Cha embarked on his professional football journey, joining Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, Germany. His stay with Leverkusen was brief as in August 2002, he was loaned to Arminia Bielefeld in Germany's 3. Liga. The 2002 - 2003 season saw Cha making his mark with 22 first team appearances and a single goal to his name.
Cha continued his Bundesliga adventure in July 2003, transferring from Bayer Leverkusen to Eintracht Frankfurt. Over the span of the next three seasons ('03-'06), he was adept at making his presence felt on the pitch, with 31, 29, and 27 first team appearances in each season respectively, tallying thirteen goals in total.
The defender's next move, in May 2006, took him from Eintracht Frankfurt to Mainz 05, also in the Bundesliga. However, in comparison to his previous tenure, his appearances decreased significantly to just 12 in league matches for the 2006 - 2007 season.
In July 2007, Cha found a new home in TuS Koblenz in the Regionalliga SΓΌdwest. His two-season spell saw him making a total of 61 first team appearances and netting three goals.
Freiburg in the Bundesliga became his new team in June 2009, where he made 23 appearances and scored a goal during the 2009 - 2010 season.
July 2010 saw a significant move in Cha's career as he transferred to the Premiership side Celtic in Scotland. Over the next two seasons ('10-'12), he made 31 league appearances and found the back of the net twice. His stint at Celtic isn't just a mere footnote in his career. Cha Du-Ri left no stones unturned in his performances as part of the Hoops. He was a full-blooded player, carving out a niche for himself in two seasons. Whilst the number of appearances he made doesn't necessarily tell the complete story, there was no shortage of grit, commitment and endeavour from him in the green and white stripes.
By June 2012, Cha parted ways with Celtic, heading back to Germany to play for Fortuna Dusseldorf in the 2. Bundesliga. His time there was fleeting, with a mere ten appearances in the 2012 - 2013 season.
Finally, in February 2013, Cha returned home to the Korean Peninsula, transferring to Seoul in the K League 1, where he remains as of 2024, despite not having made any appearances so far this season.
