Odilon Kossounou

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Odilon Kossounou
Personal information
Full name Kouakou Odilon Dorgeless Kossounou
Date of birth (2001-01-04) 4 January 2001 (age 20)
Place of birth Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Height 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s) Defender
Club information
Current team
 Bayer Leverkusen
Number 6
Youth career
–2019 ASEC Mimosas
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019 Hammarby IF 9 (0)
2019–2021 Club Brugge 40 (1)
2021– Bayer Leverkusen 15 (0)
National team‡
2020– Ivory Coast 4 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 20 December 2021
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 09:27, 22 February 2021 (UTC)

Odilon Kossounou ([ɔdilɔ̃ kɔsunu]; born 4 January 2001) is an Ivorian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen and the Ivory Coast national team.

Club career[]

Early career[]

Kossounou started his career in the academy of ASEC Mimosas in Abidjan. After having been discovered at the youth tournament Gothia Cup in 2016, he was first invited to train with Swedish Allsvenskan club Hammarby IF. He went on to visit the club on numerous occasions throughout the next few years.[1][2][3][4]

Hammarby IF[]

On 11 January 2019, shortly after his 18th birthday, Kossounou signed a four-year contract with Hammarby IF.[5] He made his competitive debut for the club on 18 February, in the main domestic cup Svenska Cupen, providing an assist to Mats Solhem in a 3-0 win against Varbergs BoIS.[6] Kossounou went on to make nine league appearances in Allsvenskan for the club, most notably being voted man of the match in a 2–2 home draw against IFK Norrköping.[7] On 8 May 2019, Hammarby IF reached an agreement with Belgian side Club Brugge for the transfer of Kossonou, effective on 1 July the same year.[8] The club received a record breaking fee for the player, reportedly around 40 million SEK that could rise higher subject to bonuses, plus a 10 percent sell-on clause.[9][10]

Club Brugge[]

On 1 July 2019, Kossounou completed his transfer to Club Brugge. In his first season at the club, Kossounou picked up a league winner's medal as Club Brugge were declared champions in April 2020 with the Pro League being cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium.[11]

Bayer Leverkusen[]

On 22 July 2021, Kossounou joined Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen on a five-year deal for a reported €23,000,000 fee.[12]

International career[]

Kossounou debuted with the Ivory Coast national team in a 1–1 friendly draw with Belgium on 8 October 2020.[13]

Playing style[]

Kossounou prevalently plays as centre back and excels in his tackling: his long limbs and the excellent timing of his interventions gives him one of the highest tackle success ratios in Europe.[14]

Outside football[]

In 2020, Kossounou was the subject of a TV-documentary on Swedish television titled "Det vackra spelet" (The beautiful game), that for three years followed him on his transfer to Hammarby and then on to Club Brugge.[15]

Career statistics[]

As of 4 December 2021[16]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Hammarby IF 2019 Allsvenskan 9 0 4 0 — — 13 0
Club Brugge 2019–20 Belgian First Division A 7 0 4 0 4[a] 0 — 15 0
2020–21 33 1 2 0 7[b] 0 — 42 1
2021–22 0 0 0 0 0 0 1[c] 0 1 0
Total 40 1 6 0 11 0 1 0 58 1
Bayer Leverkusen 2021–22 Bundesliga 13 0 1 0 3[d] 0 — 17 0
Career total 62 1 11 0 14 0 1 0 88 1
  1. ^ Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, two appearances in UEFA Europa League
  2. ^ Five appearances in UEFA Champions League, two appearances in UEFA Europa League
  3. ^ Appearance in Belgian Super Cup
  4. ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa League

Honours[]

Club Brugge

References[]

  1. ^ "Duo från Elfenbenskusten besöker Hammarby" (in Swedish). Hammarby IF. 10 April 2017. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  2. ^ "Odilon och "Rooney" tillbaka i Hammarby" (in Swedish). Hammarby IF. 7 January 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  3. ^ "Kossounou Odilon tillbaka i träning med Hammarby" (in Swedish). Hammarby IF. 22 July 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  4. ^ "Odilon: En dröm att komma till Hammarby" (in Swedish). Hammarby IF. 11 January 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  5. ^ "Kossounou Odilon på plats – avtalet påskrivet" (in Swedish). Hammarby IF. 11 January 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  6. ^ "Smakstart med sagoslut i cuppremiären" (in Swedish). Hammarby IF. 19 February 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  7. ^ "Matchens Lirare i Bajen mot Norrköping: Odilon Kossounou" (in Swedish). Hammarby IF. 27 May 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  8. ^ "Odilon klar för Club Brügge" (in Swedish). Hammarby Fotboll. 8 May 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  9. ^ "Klart – Hammarby säljer backen för rekordsumma" (in Swedish). Expressen. 6 May 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  10. ^ ""Det skulle till något exceptionellt på bordet"" (in Swedish). Aftonbladet. 8 May 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  11. ^ a b "Dennis and Tau's Club Brugge declared Belgian champions". Goal. 15 May 2020. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  12. ^ "Bayer 04 sign Ivorian international Kossounou". Bayer 04 Leverkusen. 22 July 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  13. ^ "Belgium vs. Côte d'Ivoire - 8 October 2020 - Soccerway". uk.soccerway.com.
  14. ^ "Wonderkids: Odilon Kossounou". Soccerment. 12 January 2021.
  15. ^ "Det vackra spelet". 22 March 2020.
  16. ^ Odilon Kossounou at Soccerway. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  17. ^ "Club Brugge vs. Gent 3-2". Soccerway. 17 July 2021.

External links[]

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