Odilon Kossounou

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

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
Place of birth Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Height 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
 Bayer Leverkusen
Number 6
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 53 (0)
International career‡
2020– Ivory Coast 27 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 2 September 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:49, 24 March 2023 (UTC)

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.[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

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 million 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

Club
As of match played 11 May 2023[16]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Hammarby IF 2019 Allsvenskan 9040——130
Club Brugge 2019–20 Belgian Pro League 70104[lower-alpha 1]0—120
2020–21 331207[lower-alpha 2]0—421
2021–22 0000001[lower-alpha 3]010
Total 4013011010551
Bayer Leverkusen 2021–22 Bundesliga 270105[lower-alpha 4]0—330
2022–23 2401010[lower-alpha 5]0—350
Total 51020150—680
Career total 100190260101361
  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
  5. Five appearances in UEFA Champions League, five appearances in UEFA Europa League

International
As of match played 24 March 2023[17]
Ivory Coast
YearAppsGoals
202040
202170
202250
202310
Total170

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. "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. Odilon Kossounou at National-Football-Teams.com
  18. "Club Brugge vs. Gent 3-2". Soccerway. 17 July 2021.
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