Tha'er Fayed Al Bawab (; born 1 March 1985) is a Jordanian former professional footballer who played as a forward.

He spent most of his career in Spain and Romania.

Club career Early years and Real Madrid Born in Amman to a Palestinian father and a Lebanese mother,الأردني الأول في أوروبا... ثائر البواب (The first Jordanian in Europe... Tha'er Bawab); The New Arab, 1 March 2016 (in Arabic)Thaer Bawab; at All4Palestine Bawab's family moved to Catalonia, Spain when he was a child. He started playing for the youth teams of local UE Cornellà, leaving at the age of 18 to Real Madrid where he completed his development,Thaer: "El Barça sigue apostando más por la cantera que el Madrid" (Thaer: "Barça still bet more on their youth system than Madrid"); Sport, 12 November 2013 (in Spanish) and scoring 30 goals in his sole season with the Juvenil side.El curioso caso de Tha’er Al Bawab (The curious case of Tha'er Al Bawab); Panenka, 13 December 2013 (in Spanish)

In 2004, Bawab signed a professional contract with Real Madrid, and the club also agreed to pay a college scholarship for him, as he went on to make his senior debut with the third team in the Tercera División. At that time, talks had started where people compared his style of play to Zinedine Zidane (even though they did not play in the same position).

Barcelona, journeyman in Spain Bawab split the 2006–07 season with Real Madrid Castilla – for whom he did not appear officially – and another reserve team, FC Barcelona B, scoring three goals for the latter as both sides suffered relegation (the former in the Segunda División, the latter in the Segunda División B).El exazulgrana Thaer, a las puertas de su "mayor sueño" (Former azulgrana Thaer, at the gates of his "biggest dream"); Sport, 12 November 2013 (in Spanish)La última plantilla que descendió con el Castilla. ¿Qué fue de ellos? (The last squad to be relegated with Castilla. What happened to them?); Vavel, 26 November 2013 (in Spanish)

In the following three seasons, he competed in the country's third tier, being relegated with all the clubs – CE L'Hospitalet, CD Alfaro (which he joined in January 2009) and Moratalla CF.La maravilla de un canterano del Real Madrid en la liga rumana (The wonder of a Real Madrid youth player in the Romanian league); Marca, 25 November 2014 (in Spanish)

Romania Bawab signed a two-year contract with ACF Gloria 1922 Bistriţa in late June 2010.Thaer Fayez Bawab a semnat cu Gloria (Thaer Fayez Bawab signed with Gloria) ; Gloria Bistrita, 29 June 2010 (in Romanian) Midway through the season, as his team would eventually suffer relegation, he joined fellow Romanian Liga I side CS Gaz Metan Mediaş.De la Madrid la Mediaş » Iordanianul Bawab, la al 2-lea gol in Liga 1 (From Madrid to Mediaş » Jordan's Bawab, gets his second goal in Liga 1); Gazeta Sporturilor, 2 May 2011 (in Romanian)

On 4 August 2011, Bawab scored two goals against 1. FSV Mainz 05 in the last qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League, one in each leg as Gaz Metan eventually won on penalties.Gaz Metan-Mainz 1–1, 5–4 la penalty-uri (in tur: 1–1) / Revelatia Bundesligii, invinsa de un iordanian: Bawab! (Gaz Metan-Mainz 1–1, 5–4 on penalties (first leg: 1–1) / Bundesliga revelation, prey of a Jordanian: Bawab!); Ofsaid, 4 August 2011 (in Romanian)Bawab nu se teme de Austria Viena: ”Mergem în grupe” (Bawab does not fear Austria Vienna: "We are a group") ; Gazeta Sporturilor, 6 August 2011 (in Romanian) On 26 September, he added two more in a 2–1 league home win over FCM Târgu Mureș.Scîrţîie scaunul lui Sabău » Gaz Metan – Tg Mureş 2–1 (Sabău's squeaky chair » Gaz Metan – Tg Mureş 2–1); Gazeta Sporturilor, 26 September 2011 (in Romanian)

In September 2014, free agent Bawab moved to CS Universitatea Craiova also in Romania's top flight. He remained in the country the following years safe for a very brief spell in the Qatar Stars League with Umm Salal SC, representing FC Steaua București, FC Dinamo București, CS Concordia Chiajna and FC Dunărea Călărași.Dunărea Călăraşi dă o nouă lovitură. Tha'er Bawab a semnat cu echipa preluată de Cristi Pustai (Dunărea Călăraşi strikes a new blow. Tha'er Bawab has signed with team led by Cristi Pustai); ProSport, 2 July 2019 (in Romanian)

Bawab retired in 2023 aged 38, his last club being Spanish amateurs AD Villaviciosa de Odón. Still as an active player, he worked as a taxi driver.Thaer, el jordano que jugó en el Madrid y Barça y ahora es taxista: "Me está matando no estar allí" (Thaer, the Jordanian who played for Real Madrid and Barça and is now a taxi driver: "It's killing me not being there"); Relevo, 17 November 2022 (in Spanish)Las mejores anécdotas de futbolistas del Barça en los taxis: del conductor del Espanyol al robo de una cartera (The best anecdotes from Barça footballers in taxis: from the Espanyol driver to the theft of a wallet); Crónica Global, 30 March 2024 (in Spanish)

International career Bawab made his debut for Jordan in a friendly with Norway on 28 January 2005, which ended 0–0. He made six appearances for the national team in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, scoring once.

Career statistics Club

ClubSeasonLeagueNational CupLeague CupContinentalOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsReal Madrid C2004–05Tercera División81————812005–06239————239Total3110————3110Real Madrid B2006–07Segunda División00————00Barcelona B2006–07Segunda División B133————133Hospitalet2007–08Segunda División B26210———2722008–09Tercera División10————10Total27210———282Alfaro2008–09Segunda División B14300———143Moratalla2009–10Segunda División B28300———283Gloria Bistriţa2010–11Liga I7000———70Gaz Metan Mediaș2010–11Liga I142————1422011–1228830—62—37102012–13251011———26112013–1416400———164Total832441—62—9327Universitatea Craiova2014–15Liga I25920———2792015–161930000——193Total44122000——4612Steaua București2015–16Liga I810012——93Umm Salal2016–17Qatar Stars League72————72Dinamo București 2016–17Liga I1200010——1302017–1810————10Total1300010——140Concordia Chiajna (loan)2017–18Liga I27100———271Concordia Chiajna2018–1925400———254Total52500———525Dunărea Călărași2019–20Liga I13000———130Villaviciosa Odón 2021–22Tercera División RFEF306————3062022–23Preferente de Madrid186————186Total4812————4812Career total38877712262––40382

International + Appearances and goals by national team and yearNational teamYearAppsGoalsJordan200510200600200720200861200900201000201120201251201340201443201510201610201731Total296

Scores and results list Jordan's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Bawab goal. + List of international goals scored by Tha'er Bawab # Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition1 26 March 2008 Olympic Stadium, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan 2–0 2–0 2010 World Cup qualification2 16 October 2012 Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Muscat, Oman 1–2 1–2 2014 World Cup qualification3 4 February 2014 Jalan Besar, Kallang, Singapore 1–0 3–1 2015 Asian Cup qualification4 5 March 2014 International Stadium, Amman, Jordan 1–0 2–1 2015 Asian Cup qualification5 2–06 23 March 2017 King Abdullah II, Amman, Jordan 4–0 4–0 Friendly

Honours Real Madrid C Tercera División: 2005–06

Steaua București Cupa Ligii: 2015–16VIDEO+FOTO Super-Bawab! Steaua e prima finalistă a Cupei Ligii, după ce a învins Astra, scor 2–0 (VIDEO+PHOTO Super-Bawab! Steaua are first League Cup finalists, after defeating Astra, 2–0 the score); Gazeta Sporturilor, 13 April 2016 (in Romanian)

Dinamo București Cupa Ligii: 2016–17VIDEO+FOTO » Dinamo a câștigat Cupa Ligii fără emoții! Al 34-lea trofeu din vitrina "câinilor" (VIDEO+PHOTO » Dinamo won unexciting League Cup! 34th trophy in the "dogs" cabinet); Gazeta Sporturilor, 20 May 2017 (in Romanian)

References

External links