„Due to Imanol’s long-term injury, we felt the need to bring another left-footed defender into our team,“ says sporting director of AC Sparta Praha Tomáš Rosický. „Elias Cobbaut is already an experienced stopper with starts in foreign leagues. He is used to playing under pressure and had a very good season in Mechelen last year. With his typology and physicality, he should fit in well with our style.“
Elias was born in November 1997 in Mechelen, which is located on the road between Brussels and Antwerp. He played for local KRC Mechelen until the age of 17, when he decided to move to the historically more successful city rivals KV Mechelen. He got the first taste of first-league football in the red and yellow jersey during the 2016/17 season.
Cobbaut spent most of the following season in the starting lineup of „De Kakkers”. In September 2017, he also scored his first goal in the Belgian Pro League during the match against Mouscron. Although Mechelen were relegated to the second division, the season earned him a move to RSC Anderlecht.
The 2018/19 season didn’t start well for Elias. A long break because of an injury followed after winning first three games. In December, he started to pick up minutes again and he also didn’t miss out on the European Under-21 Championship. In November 2019 he made a debut for the Belgium national team. In the 6-1 win over Cyprus, he played the full 90 minutes alongside Toby Alderweireld and Jason Denayer.
Cobbaut spent two more seasons at RSCA, during which he was managed by current Bayern Munich head coach Vincent Kompany. In the 2020/21 season, he had to deal with a broken ankle, yet he helped Anderlecht to third place in the Belgian Pro League and qualification for the Europa Conference. Elias didn't play in the qualification though – he moved to Italian Serie B in the summer of 2021.
At Parma, Cobbaut was one of the cornerstones of the team's defense and „I Gialloblu” eventually finished in twelfth place. In the 2022/23 season, the side form Emilia-Romagna region played much better. Although Elias had to miss the autumn due to a knee injury, he fought against Cagliari in the unsuccessful Serie A’s promotion play-off.
Last season, Elias spent on loan in his native Mechelen. He played the whole season without playing four games in the top Belgian competition. With the club that gave him a chance in adult football, he finished the regular season in eighth place. This summer, although he returned to Parma, he will not add more games in the Italian league for the time being.
Elias, welcome to Sparta! We are looking forward to seeing you on the pitch!
