Tag: Karim Adeyemi

Late on 1st October, 2024, Karim Adeyemi stands in front of the TV cameras holding the award for best player of the game in his hands. With three goals and one assist, he had a big part to play in the 7-1 triumph over Glasgow Celtic. These are his 10th, 11th and 12th goals in the UEFA Champions League. At 22 years and 257 days of age, he has become the first German player in history to score ten or more goals in Europe’s elite club competition before reaching his 23rd birthday.

Adeyemi was sidelined for about three months right after the memorable game returning on February 22, 2025, against 1. FC Union Berlin, a game Dortmund won 6-0.

Recalling the long period of absence, he said it was a good time to reflect on game and take care of his body.    

“It was a bit more serious than I and all of us had hoped. The injury had to heal completely. That’s why it took a little longer. Now I’m feeling good and playing again last week was great.

Of course I feel disappointed and sad, but then pretty quickly I say to myself: there’s a reason for everything. I felt I had to look after my body even more and treat it even more professionally to avoid injuries as much as possible in future. I also focused on nutrition more than I already do. There is always room for improvement in all areas.”

SPEED IN MY GENE

Known for his top speed, Adeyemi said it is in his genes. “My father used to be very fast and my mum was very sporty. I never trained speed. I was always happy to be the fastest. That’s clearly one of my strengths.”

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Adeyemi grew up in Munich. His father is Nigerian, his mother Romanian. As a child, he played basketball and volleyball as well as football. As an eight-year-old, he joined Bayern Munich’s U9 team, but returned to his first club, TSV Forstenried, less than two years later. From 2012 to 2018, he played for youth set-up of SpVgg Unterhaching. Perennial Austrian champions FC Salzburg then secured the services of the highly talented attacking player when he was 16 years old, for an impressive transfer fee.

Though, born in Munich, he had always been a Borussia Dortmund fan.    

He said: “To be honest, that was after my time at FC Bayern. In his old job, my father drove a few people to a match in Dortmund and watched the game with them. When he got back, he told me that he had experienced an unbelievable atmosphere in the stadium. After that, we watched a lot of Dortmund on TV and we were always in favour of Dortmund. From then on, I had the desire: I absolutely want to play for Dortmund. I know what this club is, what the fans can give me. And the style of play suits me particularly well too. That’s why I’ve felt very comfortable here since day one.

FROM MUNICH TO DORTMUND

“When I first touched a ball, I knew I wanted to become a professional footballer. I realised early on that I had more talent than others. I perhaps also believed more than others that I could make it. For me, there was nothing else beyond wanting to become a professional footballer.”

On 20 February 2020, he made his debut for FC Salzburg’s first team as a substitute in a Europa League away game to Eintracht Frankfurt (a 4-1 loss). He made his breakthrough in 2021/22: with 19 goals in 29 games, he finished the season as the top scorer in the Austrian Bundesliga. During his time in the Alps he won both the league and the cup three times. He has come close to winning trophies in Dortmund too. However, the medals have only been silver ones: in the Bundesliga in 2023 and in the UEFA Champions League in 2024.

He remembers vividly the Wembley final and the moment he was faced with Real Madrid goalkeeper Courtois in the 21st minute of the match.

“I won’t forget it for a very, very long time. But I didn’t let myself get dragged down about it. On the contrary, I don’t want to experience moments like that again, so I’m working hard to be more determined in front of goal and to capitalise on my chances. I’m no longer so worried about missing goalscoring opportunities. Of course, it would have been nice if I had found the back of the net in the final against Real Madrid. And of course I still have the images of Mainz in my head, and they will remain unforgettable. It still hurts very, very much that we couldn’t capitalise on that moment. That’s football. Hopefully we’ll do better next time.”

I LOVE TO EXPRESS MYSELF

Adeyemi likes to play with lot of freedom. “For me personally, I’ve realised that I need more freedom than having to be serious on the pitch. When I played for the U21s, I was relaxed – even more relaxed than before in Dortmund. And that’s when I realised that nothing can stop me when I’m relaxed. I played two good games for the U21s. I went into the next games at BVB with these thoughts: If I play a good game, I’ll keep focusing on having fun’. And that worked. That’s exactly how I’m going to approach the next few games. No matter what the people around me say. I’m going to do what’s good for me.”

The young footballer is involved in social projects in his home country Nigeria that focus on education and supporting disadvantaged children. Through his foundation, he wants to offer them access to educational opportunities to give them the chance of a better future. Poverty is deeply rooted in Nigeria, with over 40% of the population living below the poverty line.

What drives your projects? “When I was ten years old, I went to Nigeria, the country of my ancestors, for the first time with my father and told him: ‘If I manage to realise my dream of becoming a footballer and earning enough money, then I want to come back and help the people here so that they can have a better future.’ In the meantime, I have set up a foundation with my father that pays scholarships for school boys and girls or provides people with food, drink and medicine. At the end of last year, we had a well built to provide fresh, clean water.”

“It wasn’t easy for my parents to get by in Germany either. They had to work several jobs to just keep their heads above water. And I realised that people in Nigeria have even less. Now I want to give something back. If I ever have children, I will show them that not everyone has it as good and as easy as someone who was born and grew up in Germany. Family is special. I would love to have them here all the time. I have a very close bond with my mum and dad. But the people who are very close to me are also family to me, even if it’s not the same blood.”

Nigerian-Born German and Borussia Dortmund on-the-wheel winger Karim Adeyemi has been on the receiving end of Dortmund fans and technical crew in recent past. He has been heavily criticized for playing a one-way football. First, the 22-year-old lost the starting shirt and often gets a second-half look in. Then, he was downgraded to the German U21 team after he was called up to the senior team a couple of times.

All that changed late 2024, after what he described as self-evaluation of his game and facing his critics headlong.      

This ability to step up and change his fortunes started with the player’s ability to put his head down and graft in the face of adversity. The way Adeyemi reacted to his demotion to the German under-21s was a good signal that the player would be able and ready to bounce back stronger. Many players would take such a demotion as a slight, especially after having played for the senior national team. Adeyemi took it in stride and his performances for the under-21s helped build the foundation for what we are seeing today.

REBIRTH

He said of his rebirth: I’m aware that in seasons past my best performances were isolated to the second half of the campaign. The first rounds were not always great for me. Now it’s different, and I’m now trying to help the team not only in the second round, but also in the first round. That’s why I don’t want to rest on it…How many assists and goals I have: We can talk about it again at the end of the season.”

Last October, his performance against Celtic is the culmination of progress over the last few months on the players end in terms of his effort and attention to decision-making on the pitch.

Borussia Dortmund’s 7-1 win was an emphatic result for Die Schwarzgelben in the Champions League, putting the club in a very good position both in terms of points, but also in terms of goal difference.  Dortmund’s standout performer in this absolute goal-fest was Adeyemi, who put together a scintillating display that culminated in a very impressive hat-trick for the German attacker.

He admitted that his outstanding showing, which very much propelled Dortmund to such a comfortable result, is the culmination of months of work on the player’s end to clean up his game and become a more clinical asset for his team.

A few weeks back, the Munich-born had a very good game against Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga where he registered two goals and provided an assist to help his side to victory. After the game, Adeyemi was humble, stating that he needed to consistently show these sorts of performances before he accepted praise for his contributions, highlighting that he was aware of shortcomings that garnered criticism in seasons past.

According to bvbbuzz.com: “Since that game, the player has absolutely strived to have a stronger presence on the pitch, and that doesn’t only relate to the goals, but his approach play and how those goals he’s scored have come about. In the win over Bochum, he changed his approach play mid-game from running into the opposition defense with his head down and not looking to make a pass to then turning provider for his teammates in the second half to great effect. When Adeyemi decides to link his natural ability with strong decision-making, he can be an exceptional player.”

In the game against Celtic, he stepped it up a notch once again, not only scoring goals, but winning the ball back in promising positions, carrying it with purpose, and then either creating chances or finishing them himself clinically. It is these sorts of performances that will bring his name out of the mire in which it has found itself on countless occasions on social media, where doubt and reactionary takes are of course the bread and butter of those analyzing the player’s game, even during a season where he is stepping up and looking to make amends for the lackluster displays of campaigns past.

Bvbbuzz.com added: “The expectation is of course not for Adeyemi to score hat tricks in subsequent games. While having him score at the current rate would be a nice boon for the squad, the reality is performances where he continues to play with intensity, creates chances and sprinkles in a similar level of clinical finishing will only see his productivity skyrocket.

“The goal that the player should be striving for is to be a better-rounded player capable of contributing with a multi-dimensional play style. If things continue to go in this vein for Adeyemi, we can safely say that the player is heading in the right direction and that his importance in this Dortmund starting eleven will only continue to grow along with his overall game.”

BORUSSIA DORTMUND STAY

With his new found form, the in-demand attacker has also made a bold decision regarding his future amid interest from Napoli among other clubs.

Adeyemi future has been decided, at least for the short-term. The young German attacker has been linked with a move away in recent weeks with Napoli in hot pursuit, and several Premier League clubs interested. Napoli, in particular, had prepared an expensive package in their pursuit of Adeyemi as it was reported that BVB was open to a sale this January.

According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, no deal will be made for Adeyemi in this window because the player wishes to stay in Dortmund, and has informed all interested parties.

He has five goals and five assists across fourteen appearances this season, in all competitions. He’s one of the club’s most dangerous attackers, and without Donyel Malen, Borussia Dortmund will need him more than ever.

The young German was acquired from RB Salzburg in 2022 for a fee of 30-million Euros. Eighteen at the time, Adeyemi was seen as a Wunderkind with high expectations associated with his transfer fee.

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Since arriving in Dortmund, Adeyemi has been inconsistent and struggled with injuries, but when he’s in form, he’s exciting to watch. Adeyemi can dazzle with his speed, and has scored some impressive goals. Most notably, Adeyemi scored a first half hat-trick against Celtic FC in a 7-1 win in the UEFA Champions League earlier this season. In total, Adeyemi has scored 19 goals in 78 appearances in Black and Yellow

Having recently offloaded Donyell Malen, it seems doubtful Dortmund would be willing to let Adeyemi go easily. Borussia Dortmund’s squad is currently thin, and losing a player of his caliber given his resurgence without an obvious replacement lined up would seem to be ill-advised.

Borussia Dortmund winger Karim Adeyemi has now emerged as a top option to replace Khvicha Kvaratskhelia at Napoli.

Napoli initial target to replace Kvaratskhelia, whose transfer to Paris Saint-Germain will soon be made official, is Alejandro Garnacho of Manchester United.

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However, according to Tuttosport, Adeyemi, 23, could be an option if Napoli failed to land the Argentina star.

Adeyemi wants to play more regularly as this season he has only seen action at Dortmund for 621 minutes.

L’Equipe has even gone ahead to report that Napoli have already tabled a 40 Million Euros bid for Adeyemi.

Borussia Dortmund forward Karim Adeyemi is training well and could play today’s Bundesliga home game against Hoffenheim after recovering from a muscle injury, head coach Nuri Sahin said.

The 22-year-old Germany international, who was an unused substitute in Dortmund’s 3-2 home loss to LaLiga side Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday, has been out of action since picking up the injury in October.

Injury-plagued Dortmund, who are missing defenders Nico Schlotterbeck, Niklas Suele and Waldemar Anton, are sixth in the Bundesliga table with 21 points from 13 matches and trail leaders Bayern Munich by 12 points.

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“Karim already wanted to play against Barcelona. He’s training very well, he’s very stable. He looks fresh and is definitely a candidate for the last two games of the year,” Sahin told reporters.

Dortmund’s final game of the year is against fifth-placed VfL Wolfsburg on Dec. 22.

Sahin was unsure about the availability of fullback Julian Ryerson, attacking midfielder Julian Brandt and forward Maximilian Beier.

“We still have to wait and see with Ryerson, Brandt and Beier. We have our final training session tomorrow and will then decide who will start alongside Emre Can in central defence,” Sahin said.