Armel Bella Kotchap joins Venezia FC

Venezia FC announces the permanent signing of defender Armel Bella Kotchap.

The player has signed a contract with the club until 30 June 2030, with an option for the club to extend it for the 2030/31 season.

A centre-back, Bella Kotchap was born on 11 December 2001 in Paris and holds German nationality.

He came through the youth systems of Borussia Mönchengladbach, Unterrath and Duisburg, before joining VfL Bochum in 2017, where he made his first-team debut in 2019. In the 2020/21 season, he contributed to Bochum’s 2. Bundesliga title and promotion to the Bundesliga.

He made 74 appearances and scored 1 goal for the German club before joining Southampton in 2022, where he registered 26 appearances across the Premier League, FA Cup and EFL Cup. He later moved on loan to PSV Eindhoven, making his Champions League debut and winning the 2023/24 Eredivisie title.

After returning to Southampton, he made 5 appearances across league and cup competitions in the following season. In the last season, he made 20 appearances for Hellas Verona in Serie A and the Coppa Italia.

Bella Kotchap has also represented Germany at youth level from Under-18 to Under-21, before receiving his first call-up to the senior national team in 2022, the year he was included in the squad for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Armel Bella Kotchap, Venezia FC defender
“I’m very happy to be joining Venezia FC. I chose to come to Venice because the project the club presented to me convinced me from the very beginning. I believe this is the right place for me to continue developing as a player, and I’m confident we can have a great season together.
The most important thing for me is to put my qualities at the service of the team. I see this move as an important step forward in my career, and I’m ready to give everything for this club. Together with my teammates, I’ll work as hard as I can to achieve our goals and make our supporters proud.“

Welcome to the Arancioneroverdi, Armel.