Charyl Chappuis: “My life changed when I arrived in Thailand” – rts.ch

It is an understatement to say that Charyl Chappuis is not the first to come to Thailand. At the beginning of April, RTSsport offered him a meeting in Bangkok, and, after a few discussions spaced out by the time difference and the 32-year-old Zurich resident’s busy schedule, a slot was found. Arriving soberly by motorbike taxi, the Thai superstar settles in the lobby of a hotel where, by complete coincidence, he knows the surroundings well, since he begins by explaining that he stayed in this same street many years ago. many years, before he was who he became.

15 years ago, on November 15, 2009, the Swiss U17 team won the Holy Grail by beating Nigeria 1-0 in the final of the U17 World Cup. The “Rougets” present in the team include names that have become famous, such as Granit Xhaka, Ricardo Rodriguez, Pajtim Kasami and Haris Seferovic. Among them, Charyl Chappuis, a young Swiss-Thai born on January 12, 1992 in Kloten to a Swiss father and a mother of Thai origin.

When you win a World Cup at 17, everyone comes and tells you you’re the best

Obtaining the consecration at only 17 years old obviously caused sudden changes in the daily life of the defensive midfielder: “Of course, after winning a World Cup, you dream of bigger things, of playing in Switzerland, of playing in the 4 major championships. When you win a World Cup at 17, everyone comes and tells you you’re the best and your market value goes up by a million.” he explains, before adding: “Teams from all over Europe are interested in you, and agents, managers are calling you, it’s not easy to keep both feet on the ground, my life changed after that“.

After this promising victory, a fairly rapid change of trajectory, which is surprising. The person who subsequently signed his first contract with Grasshopper will ultimately have never played a match in the Swiss 1st division. As he explains himself, Charyl Chappuis quickly had numerous contacts and proposals throughout Europe, including the appetite of Juventus and Hamburg: “The interest from Juventus and Hamburg is not easy to deal with for a young child, but I had my parents, especially my father, who always tried to tell me that I had to continue working, do more“.

But adaptation at the highest level occurs gradually: “We are 18 years old, we think that morning training is enough and that we can rest the rest of the time and no longer need to go to school. It was a learning process, with lots of mistakes but also lots of good times“. And it is ultimately in his mother’s country that young Charyl will be able to fully blossom.

The offer they made to me in Thailand, I would never have had it in Switzerland

From being a promising talent, he became a superstar who made the big days of the Thai national team: “The decision to come to Thailand was easy to make, because I was in Lugano, I was 20-21 years old, there was a change of coach, who didn’t let the young people play much. Buriram came, it’s one of the biggest clubs in Thailand, they even traveled to Lugano, with the manager. Then they invited me to come to Thailand to see the facilities. And the decision was easy to make, the offer they made to me, I would never have had it in Switzerland“.

The emergence of a superstar: “My life changed”

Now settled in his mother’s country, where he speaks the language, Charyl Chappuis will decide to play for the Thailand national team. His successes with Changsuek (editor’s note: the War Elephants, nickname of the players of the Thailand team) will propel him to the forefront of the national scene, as the person concerned confides.

“The time I arrived was good, Thai football was booming, and everything we achieved with the national team helped a lot. We won the Southeast Asian Games in my first year, Thailand hadn’t won in 12 years. The following year we went to the Asian Games, we lost in the semi-finals to Korea, but it was a great achievement“. And the former No.7 of the Thailand team concluded: “After that, my life turned upside down. With our team’s results in 2004, Thai football changed, we were the heroes of the country“.

More than 1.3 million followers on social networks

But Charyl Chappuis (pronounced “Chapouille” by the Thais), it’s not just footballing qualities deployed in the best clubs in the country (Buriram, Port FC in particular and now Bangkok FC, in the 2nd Thai division), it’s also strategic intelligence on social networks, which allows him to count more than… 1.3 million followers on the social network Instagram, as many as Stan Wawrinka, winner of 3 Grand Prix tournaments Slam in tennis!

On this stunning success, Chappuis explains: “In Asia, we love social networks. And people especially like half-Thai, I was lucky to have a good mix. People in Thailand love my look, at the same time I played well, I scored goals, I brought happiness to the country. I was also one of the first to use these platforms, it was easier 10 years ago“. This “Chpuismania” combined with his know-how in digital media, allowed him to collaborate with numerous brands and to be able to afford a house in Phuket as well as an apartment in the upscale district of Thong Lo (in downtown Bangkok).

“I’m married to a half-Thai, half-Swedish woman. We realized that Thailand is the country we wanted to live in“. On the rest of his career, “Chap”, 32 years old, confides: “I still have a few years left, but I don’t yet know what I want to do, my biggest dream is to be the manager of a team, not a coach but a manager: I like when everything is perfectly in order, I would like also be a recruiter of young talents“. Very politely, Charyl Chappuis takes his leave. Immediately afterwards, the people around ask him for photos. The Zurich resident who has become a superstar in Thailand does so, with a smile on his face, in simplicity and politeness.

Bangkok, Amedeo Burger – @AmedeoBurger