Next career highlight – Akanji’s rise: What began in Wiesendangen culminates in the CL final – Sport


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Manuel Akanji is the Swiss in the Champions League final on Saturday in Istanbul. It’s a new high for him.

Until now, Manuel Akanji’s career has only known one direction: steeply upwards. On Saturday, the amazing climb reaches a new peak. In Manchester City’s defense, the 27-year-old plays in the Champions League final in Istanbul against Inter Milan for the most important club trophy in the world.

No one could have imagined that when Akanji started playing football as a little kid at FC Wiesendangen. Not even when he made his debut at FC Winterthur in the Challenge League as a 19-year-old. And when Akanji tore his cruciate ligament in March 2016 – a year after moving from FCW to FC Basel – his future was more uncertain than ever.

In Dortmund on the siding …

But Akanji quickly fought back. While he was still convalescent when he celebrated the championship title with FCB in 2016, he became a regular player in the following season under coach Urs Fischer and played a key role in winning the double.

Six months later, Akanji joined Borussia Dortmund at the beginning of 2018, which brought a whopping 21.5 million euros into the coffers of FC Basel. To date, this is the second most expensive Super League transfer after that of Breel Embolo to Schalke (26.5 million euros).

In the four and a half years at BVB, Akanji experienced ups and downs. Sometimes he was an undisputed regular player, then he found himself on the bench for weeks. When Dortmund no longer relied on the 47-time Swiss national player at the beginning of the 2022/23 season – after the commitment of the central defenders Niklas Süle and Nico Schlotterbeck – Manchester City struck. The rest is history.

… undisputed at Man City

Akanji made his debut for the “Citizens” on September 6, 2022, in the Champions League at FC Sevilla. The man from Zurich made an impression in the 4-0 win against the newly crowned EL winner. Especially with his coach Pep Guardiola, who thinks big about Akanji. Since then he has been a regular in central defense – but is also used as a full-back from time to time when there is a need.

Akanji has already won the Premier League title and the FA Cup with Man City. The treble can be made perfect in Istanbul on Saturday. It would be the ultimate high point in Akanji’s career. And in Dortmund you should definitely rub your eyes in disbelief.

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