José María Andrés Baixauli (born 25 April 2005), known as Chema Andrés, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart.
Chema was born in 2005 in Valencia, Spain. He joined the youth academy of Spanish side Levante at the age of eight.[3] In 2018, he joined the Real Madrid Academy from Levante at just 13 years old and has since played across various categories, progressing from Infantil to Real Madrid Castilla.[4]
Chema was a key member of the Real Madrid Juvenil A team that won the under-19 domestic treble during the 2022–23 season, claiming the Copa del Rey Juvenil, finishing first in Group 5 of the División de Honor Juvenil, and winning the Copa de Campeones.[5][6]
He began his senior career with Real Madrid Castilla in 2024, after being promoted directly from the Juvenil A team to the reserves, bypassing the usual step of joining Real Madrid C.[7] He made his senior debut with Real Madrid in a round of 32 Copa del Rey fixture against CD Minera on January 6, 2025. He came on in the 63rd minute of the second half, replacing Brahim Díaz.[8]
On January 19, 2025, Chema made his senior debut in La Liga during a match against Las Palmas, substituting Dani Ceballos in the 83rd minute. The match ended with 4-1 victory for Real Madrid.[9]
On 27 July 2025, Chema joined German Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart for €3 million.[10] He signed a contract with the club until 30 June 2030 and was assigned the number 30 shirt.[11]
Chema is a youth international for Spain. He was called up for the 2024 UEFA European Under-19 Championship in Northern Ireland.[12] He scored his first goal for the Spain U19 in a Group B match against Denmark, which ended in a 2–1 victory.[13] He started in four of Spain's five matches during the tournament, including the final, where Spain defeated France 2–0 to win their 12th UEFA European Under-19 Championship title.[14]
Chema mainly operates as a defensive midfielder. He has received comparisons to Spain international Sergio Busquets.[15] Chema has also frequently been compared to fellow Madrid native Rodri due to their similar physical attributes, playing position, and style of play.[7][16]
Chema is known for his tactical discipline, maintaining good positioning on the field, and rarely making mistakes in possession.[8] He is capable of progressing the ball through vertical passes and typically plays as a classic pivot or number 5. His strengths include tactical intelligence, vision, and the ability to deliver high-quality vertical passes.[17]
During his time at Real Madrid's academy, Chema began studying a degree in Business Administration with Business Analytics in English, having enrolled in the bilingual program.[7]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Real Madrid C | 2023–24 | Tercera Federación | 7 | 3 | — | — | — | 7 | 3 | ||||
| Real Madrid Castilla | 2023–24 | Primera Federación | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | ||||
| 2024–25 | Primera Federación | 32 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 32 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 35 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 35 | 0 | |||||
| Real Madrid | 2024–25 | La Liga | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| VfB Stuttgart | 2025–26 | Bundesliga | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 8 | 1 | |
| Career total | 48 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 52 | 4 | |||
Spain U19
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