Eintracht professional Khelifi: Adventure in the Venezuelan football paradise!

Eintracht professional Khelifi: Adventure in the Venezuelan football paradise!

Salim Khelifi, a former professional footballer from Eintracht Braunschweig, has enjoyed an exciting international career in recent years. Born in Switzerland with Tunisian roots, Khelifi embarked on a professional career that took him from Europe to Australia and finally to Venezuela. During his time at Eintracht Braunschweig, which lasted from 2014 to 2018, the winger scored an impressive 11 goals and provided 12 assists in 86 professional games. Despite his success in Braunschweig, Khelifi had to contend with concerns from his family, who were skeptical about his career path.

In 2021/2022 he won the Swiss championship with FC Zurich. But after injury problems, he decided to move to Australia on the recommendation of a friend. There he not only found his joy of playing again, but also a new adventure that took him to Venezuela in 2025. There he now plays for the first division club Academia Puerto Cabello and describes the country as “paradise”. Khelifi is 31 years old and paved his way to Venezuela through his stints in Zurich and Kiel.

New challenges in Venezuela

His move to Venezuela came in January 2025 and Khelifi is enthusiastic about his new club's sporting infrastructure. According to him, this is comparable to the facilities of the Swiss first division clubs. Each player has their own room on the training ground, which allows for a comfortable recovery after intensive training. Training usually takes place early in the morning to avoid the high temperatures, and the sounds of dolphins on the nearby beach create a special atmosphere.

Despite the positive experiences, Khelifi also had to overcome the challenges in Venezuela. The country's extreme altitude leads to health problems among players. In addition, although football is associated with a lot of emotion there, it is less important than baseball. Khelifi reports on intensive training conditions and also on conflicts within the team.

Memories and visions of the future

He particularly remembers the derbies against 95+1 from his time in Braunschweig, where he looks back proudly on the connection with the fans. However, a return to Eintracht Braunschweig seems unlikely. Khelifi is considering extending his contract in Venezuela until the end of 2025 and is also interested in continuing his career in Asia or Africa in the future.

Overall, Khelifi sees his new life in Venezuela as enriching and is optimistic about overcoming the challenges that football brings there. You can find out more about his impressive career and current experiences at News38 and T Online.