Manuel Akanji

Manuel Obafemi Akanji (born 19 July 1995) is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as a centre-back or full-back for Premier League club Manchester City and the Switzerland national team.

Manuel Akanji
Akanji playing for Switzerland at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Full name Manuel Obafemi Akanji[1]
Date of birth (1995-07-19) 19 July 1995[2]
Place of birth Neftenbach, Switzerland
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[2]
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
 Manchester City
Number 25
Youth career
2004–2007 FC Wiesendangen
2007–2014 FC Winterthur
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014–2015 FC Winterthur 35 (1)
2015–2018 FC Basel 42 (5)
2018–2022 Borussia Dortmund 119 (4)
2022– Manchester City 36 (0)
International career‡
2014 Switzerland U20 2 (0)
2014–2015 Switzerland U21 6 (0)
2017– Switzerland 54 (3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:22, 25 October 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 04:30, 16 October 2023 (UTC)

Club career

Youth football and early career

Akanji began his youth career with the local club in Wiesendangen. In May 2007, Akanji changed clubs and was a youth-team player for FC Winterthur, featuring for their Under-18 team and later with their second team. In the 2014–15 Challenge League, he became a regular starter for Winterthur having played two games for them during the second half of the 2013–14 season.

FC Basel

On 15 April 2015, it was announced that Akanji would transfer to FC Basel for the 2015–16 Swiss Super League season.[3] He made his Swiss Super League debut on 26 September 2015 being substituted in against FC Lugano. Under trainer Urs Fischer, Akanji won the Swiss Super League championship at the end of the 2015–16 Super League season[4] and at the end of the 2016–17 Super League season for the second time. For the club this was the eighth title in a row and their 20th championship title in total. They also won the Swiss Cup for the twelfth time, which meant they had won the double for the sixth time in the club's history.[5]

As Swiss Champions, Basel qualified for the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League and started in the Group stage. Akanji played in all six games over the full 90 minutes and helped the team finish in second group position, thus qualifying for the next round. On 15 January 2018, Basel announced that Akanji had transferred to Borussia Dortmund.[6]

Borussia Dortmund

Akanji transferred to Borussia Dortmund on 15 January 2018 during the winter transfer window for a reported fee of €18 million[7] He signed a four and a half year contract dated until June 2022.[8] On 27 September, Akanji scored his first goal for the club and his first Bundesliga goal in a 7–0 victory over 1. FC Nürnberg.[9] Akanji was widely criticised for his costly errors during Dortmund's failed challenge to Bayern during the 2019–20 season. Akanji was one of the main players singled out as a weak link in the team.[10]

Manchester City

On 1 September 2022, Akanji joined Premier League champions Manchester City, signing a contract until 2027[11] for a reported fee of £15 million.[12] He made his debut for City five days later, starting in a 4–0 away win over Sevilla in the Champions League group stage.[13] He made his Premier League debut on 17 September, starting in a 3–0 away win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.[14] He was voted the club's Player of the Month for October.[15] On 17 May 2023, he scored his first goal at the club and in the Champions League with a header deflected by Éder Militão in a 4–0 home win over Real Madrid in the semi-final second leg.[16] During the 2022–23 Premier League, Akanji played more minutes than any other Manchester City defender.[17]

International career
Akanji with Switzerland at the 2018 FIFA World Cup

Akanji made two appearances for the Switzerland U-20 national team. His debut was on 7 September 2014 in the 0–0 draw against the German U-20 national team. From 2014, he was a member of the Switzerland U-21 team and made his debut for them on 26 March in the 0–3 defeat by the Italian U-21 team. Akanji made his debut in the senior team in the 2–0 win against Faroe Islands in the 2018 World Cup qualification match on 9 June 2017. He played the entire 90 minutes.[18] He was included in the Swiss team's 23 man squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

In May 2019, Akanji played in 2019 UEFA Nations League Finals, where his team finished fourth.[19] In 2021, he was called up to the national team for UEFA Euro 2020.[20]

Akanji scored his first senior international goal against Spain in a 2–1 UEFA Nations League victory on 24 September 2022.[21] On 7 December 2022, he scored the only goal for Switzerland in a 6–1 loss to Portugal in the 2022 World Cup round of 16.[22]

Style of play

Akanji is known for his cultured style of play, which is characterized by his technical ability, composure on the ball, and excellent passing range.[23][24][25] He is also a strong and physical defender who is comfortable in one-on-one situations and is adept at intercepting passes and making tackles.[24][26][27][28]

His ability to read the game and make crucial interceptions as well as his calmness under pressure is well-known among fans of the English Premier League. Akanji's passing ability is also a key part of his game, and he is often involved in building attacks from the back.[24][27][28][29] His long-range passing is particularly noteworthy, and he is capable of playing accurate diagonal balls to switch the play and create space for his teammates.[24][27][29] Due to his passing abilities, Akanji has been deployed as both a left-back and right-back, as well as occasionally a libero, much like teammate John Stones, by City manager Pep Guardiola.[29][30]

Personal life

Akanji was born in Neftenbach, Switzerland,[31] to a Swiss mother and a Nigerian father.[32]

In 2017, already a professional player, he completed his vocational training as a tradesman (″Kaufmann″). In Swiss TV in 2018 he showed excellent skills at mental calculation.[33][34]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 25 October 2023[35]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[lower-alpha 1] League cup[lower-alpha 2] Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
FC Winterthur II 2013–14 1. Liga Classic 180————180
FC Winterthur 2013–14 Swiss Challenge League 2000———20
2014–15 Swiss Challenge League 33120———351
Total 35120—0000371
FC Basel II 2015–16 Swiss Promotion League 30————30
2016–17 Swiss Promotion League 10————10
Total 40————40
FC Basel 2015–16 Swiss Super League 8030—1[lower-alpha 3]0—120
2016–17 Swiss Super League 15431—00—185
2017–18 Swiss Super League 19131—6[lower-alpha 4]0—282
Total 42592—7000587
Borussia Dortmund 2017–18 Bundesliga 11000—0000110
2018–19 Bundesliga 25110—5[lower-alpha 4]0—311
2019–20 Bundesliga 29030—6[lower-alpha 4]01[lower-alpha 5]0390
2020–21 Bundesliga 28250—7[lower-alpha 4]01[lower-alpha 5]0412
2021–22 Bundesliga 26130—6[lower-alpha 6]01[lower-alpha 5]0361
Total 1194120—240301584
Manchester City 2022–23 Premier League 290602011[lower-alpha 4]1—481
2023–24 Premier League 7000103[lower-alpha 4]12[lower-alpha 7]0131
Total 360603014220612
Career total 25410292304525033615
  1. Includes Swiss Cup, DFB-Pokal, FA Cup
  2. Includes EFL Cup
  3. Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  4. Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  5. Appearance in DFL-Supercup
  6. Five appearances in UEFA Champions League, one appearance in UEFA Europa League
  7. One appearance in FA Community Shield, one appearance in UEFA Super Cup

International
As of match played 15 October 2023[36]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Switzerland 201740
201890
201990
202030
2021130
202292
202371
Total543
As of match played 15 October 2023
Scores and results list Switzerland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Akanji goal.[36]
List of international goals scored by Manuel Akanji
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
124 September 2022La Romareda, Zaragoza, Spain Spain1–02–12022–23 UEFA Nations League A
26 December 2022Lusail Stadium, Lusail, Qatar Portugal1–41–62022 FIFA World Cup
315 October 2023Kybunpark, St. Gallen, Switzerland Belarus2–33–3UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying

Honours

FC Basel

Borussia Dortmund

Manchester City

Individual

References
  1. "FIFA World Cup Russia 2018: List of Players: Switzerland" (PDF). FIFA. 15 July 2018. p. 30. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 June 2019.
  2. "Manuel Akanji: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  3. Ein neuer Verteidiger für den FCB: Manuel Akanji kommt vom FC Winterthur TagesWoche dated 15. April 2015
  4. Marti, Casper (2016). "Es ist vollbracht ! Der FCB ist zum 19. Mal Meister". FC Basel. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  5. Marti, Casper (2017). "Der Saisonabschluss im Zeitraffer". FC Basel. Retrieved 2 June 2017.
  6. FC Basel (2018). "Manuel Akanji wechselt zu Borussia Dortmund". FC Basel. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  7. "Wechsel perfekt! BVB bekommt Akanji sofort" kicker, 15 January 2018. Retrieved on 15 January 2018.
  8. Borussia Dortmund (2018). "BVB verpflichtet Schweizer Nationalspieler Manuel Akanji". Borussia Dortmund. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  9. "Marco Reus stars as breathtaking Borussia Dortmund put seven past Nuremberg". Bundesliga. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  10. "Three Borussia Dortmund players who need to improve". 11 November 2019.
  11. "City seal Akanji signing". ManCity.com. Manchester City. 1 September 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  12. "Man City sign defender Manuel Akanji from Borussia Dortmund for £15m". Sky Sports. 1 September 2022.
  13. Sutcliffe, Steve (6 September 2022). "Sevilla 0-4 Man City: Erling Haaland scores twice in comfortable Champions League opening win". BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  14. Stone, Simon (6 September 2022). "Wolves 0-3 Manchester City: Erling Haaland scores again in dominant win". BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  15. Clayton, David. "Akanji voted Etihad Player of the Month for October". www.mancity.com. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  16. "Man City 4-0 Real Madrid (agg: 5-1): Silva double helps City ease into Champions League final at holders' expense". UEFA. 17 May 2023.
  17. Someoddpilot, Devs (1 June 2023). "Premier League Team of the Season: OptaJoe's XI". The Analyst. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  18. "Färöer Inseln 0:2 Schweiz". football.ch. Schweizerischer Fussballverband. 9 June 2017. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  19. "Pickford the hero in England shootout win". BBC Sport.
  20. "Das Kader des Schweizer Nationalteams für die UEFA EURO ist bekannt" [The squad of the Swiss national team for the UEFA Euro is known]. Swiss Football Association (in German). 31 May 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  21. "Zwei Eckbälle für ein Halleluja: Nati überrascht in Spanien" (in Swiss High German). SRF. 24 September 2022. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  22. "Portugal vs. Switzerland - Football Match Summary - December 7, 2022 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
  23. "Manuel Akanji - Soccer Wiki: for the fans, by the fans". Soccer Wiki. 2019. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  24. more, Sam Lee, Raphael Honigstein and. "Manuel Akanji was available, experienced and looks a very good fit for Man City". The Athletic. Retrieved 22 September 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  25. Marshall, Tyrone (17 September 2022). "Akanji did four things to impress Guardiola on Man City Premier League debut". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  26. Odey, Emmanuel (29 April 2023). "Manuel Akanji: The Bargain of the Season?". Bitter and Blue. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  27. Desmond, Rhys (1 November 2022). "Manuel Akanji at Man City – Tactical Analysis". TheMastermindSite. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  28. "Manuel Akanji at Manchester City 2022/23 - scout report". Total Football Analysis Magazine. 5 September 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  29. "Manuel Akanji is Man City's bargain buy and now Pep Guardiola's intelligent problem-solver at right-back". Sky Sports. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  30. "Manuel Akanji at left-back? Pep Guardiola's masterstroke against Arsenal turns the title race Man City's way". Sky Sports. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  31. Manuel Akanji. In: Munzinger-Archiv, retrieved 15. September 2022.
  32. "Manuel Akanji: 10 things on Borussia Dortmund's new Swiss international defender". Bundesliga. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  33. BVB-Profi schneller als der Taschenrechner, sport.sky.de, retrieved 29 June 2021
  34. Fussball: Manuel Akanji als Studiogast, www.srf.ch, retrieved 29 June 2021
  35. "M. Akanji". Soccerway. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  36. "Manuel Akanji". EU-Football.info. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
  37. "Swiss football: FC Basel wins 3-0 over Sion in Geneva; police extra vigilant after game". allaboutgeneva.com. 25 May 2017. Archived from the original on 17 May 2019. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
  38. McNulty, Phil (10 June 2023). "Manchester City 1–0 Inter Milan". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  39. McNulty, Phil (3 June 2023). "Manchester City 2–1 Manchester United". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  40. "Manchester City 1–1(5-4p) Sevilla". 17 August 2023.
  41. Someoddpilot, Devs (1 June 2023). "Premier League Team of the Season: OptaJoe's XI". The Analyst. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
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