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Odilon Kossounou

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Odilon Kossounou
Kossounou with Bayer Leverkusen in 2022
Personal information
Full name Kouakou Odilon Dorgeless Kossounou
Date of birth (2001-01-04) 4 January 2001 (age 23)
Place of birth Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Height 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s) Centre-back, right-back
Team information
Current team
 Atalanta
(on loan from Bayer Leverkusen)
Number 3
Youth career
0000–2019 ASEC Mimosas
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019 Hammarby IF 9 (0)
2019–2021 Club Brugge 40 (1)
2021– Bayer Leverkusen 73 (1)
2024– → Atalanta (loan) 5 (0)
International career‡
2020– Ivory Coast 25 (0)
Medal record
Representing  Ivory Coast
Men's football
Africa Cup of Nations
Winner 2023 Ivory Coast
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:17, 10 November 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:55, 10 September 2024 (UTC)

Kouakou Odilon Dorgeless Kossounou ([ɔdilɔ̃ kɔsunu]; born 4 January 2001), better known as Odilon Kossounou, is an Ivorian professional footballer who plays either as a centre-back or right-back for Serie A club Atalanta, on loan from Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen, and the Ivory Coast national team.

Club career

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Early career

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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

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On 11 January 2019, shortly after his 18th birthday, Kossounou signed a four-year contract with Hammarby.[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 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 for a fee of around €4 million (or 44 million SEK) that could rise higher subject to bonuses, plus a 10 percent sell-on clause.[9][10]

Club Brugge

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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

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

On 28 August 2024, Kossounou joined Atalanta in Italy on loan with an option to buy.[13]

International career

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Kossounou debuted with the Ivory Coast national team in a 1–1 friendly draw with Belgium on 8 October 2020.[14]

Kossounou was a member of the Ivory Coast's squad for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations and made two appearances, starting once in a 3–1 win over Algeria in the group stage[15]

In December 2023, Kossounou was named in the Ivory Coast's squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.[16][17] He went on to start three games, including the final where Ivory Coast won against Nigeria by a score of 2–1.

Playing style

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Kossounou prevalently plays primarily as centre-back but can also play as a right-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.[18]

Outside football

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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.[19]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of match played 10 November 2024[20]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] 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 Pro League 7 0 1 0 4[b] 0 — 12 0
2020–21 33 1 2 0 7[c] 0 — 42 1
2021–22 0 0 0 0 0 0 1[d] 0 1 0
Total 40 1 3 0 11 0 1 0 55 1
Bayer Leverkusen 2021–22 Bundesliga 27 0 1 0 5[e] 0 — 33 0
2022–23 24 0 1 0 10[f] 0 — 35 0
2023–24 22 1 4 0 8[e] 0 — 34 1
Total 73 1 6 0 23 0 — 102 1
Atalanta (loan) 2024–25 Serie A 5 0 0 0 2[g] 0 — 7 0
Career total 127 2 13 0 36 0 1 0 177 2
  1. ^ Includes Svenska Cupen, Belgian Cup, DFB-Pokal
  2. ^ Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, two appearances in UEFA Europa League
  3. ^ Five appearances in UEFA Champions League, two appearances in UEFA Europa League
  4. ^ Appearance in Belgian Super Cup
  5. ^ a b Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  6. ^ Five appearances in UEFA Champions League, five appearances in UEFA Europa League
  7. ^ Appearance in UEFA Champions League

International

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As of match played 10 September 2024[21]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Ivory Coast 2020 4 0
2021 7 0
2022 5 0
2023 2 0
2024 7 0
Total 25 0

Honours

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Club Brugge

Bayer Leverkusen

Ivory Coast

References

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  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. ^ "A starting XI of signings: here's Kossounou to shore up the defence". Atalanta. 28 August 2024. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  14. ^ "Belgium vs. Côte d'Ivoire - 8 October 2020 - Soccerway". uk.soccerway.com.
  15. ^ "Afcon 2021: Holders Algeria crash out after Ivory Coast defeat". ESPN. 20 January 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  16. ^ "LA LISTE" (in Portuguese). Ivorian Football Federation. 28 December 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2024 – via Facebook.
  17. ^ "CÔTE D'IVOIRE" (PDF). Confederation of African Football. 5 January 2024.
  18. ^ "Wonderkids: Odilon Kossounou". Soccerment. 12 January 2021.
  19. ^ "Det vackra spelet". 22 March 2020.
  20. ^ Odilon Kossounou at Soccerway. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  21. ^ Odilon Kossounou at National-Football-Teams.com
  22. ^ "Club Brugge vs. Gent 3–2". Soccerway. 17 July 2021.
  23. ^ "Bayer Leverkusen are 2023/24 Bundesliga champions!". Bundesliga. 15 April 2024. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  24. ^ "Bayer Leverkusen battle back to beat VfB Stuttgart on penalties in Supercup". Bundesliga. 17 August 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  25. ^ Stevens, Rob (11 February 2024). "Nigeria 1–2 Ivory Coast". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
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