Tag: Manuel Akanji

By Daniel Oyekan

Inter Milan’s new signing Manuel Akanji has for the umpteenth time expressed how proud is he about  his Nigerian roots  despite  turning out for Switzerland  at the International level.

Akanji joined Inter on an initial loan deal with an obligation to buy from Manchester City in the summer transfer window revealed  his  affinity  with Nigeria as well as his first few weeks in Milan with Inter TV.

The 30-year-old defender was born in Wiesendangen, Switzerland, to a Swiss mother and a Nigerian father and has an eagle tattooed on his left arm as a tribute to his Nigerian heritage.

 “This is the eagle, from the Nigerian national team, with the football under it. It’s something I carry with me,” he explained as per Football Italia.

 “Obviously, I play for the Swiss national team, but I’m still really proud of being Nigerian. I could only make one decision, but they are still with me all the way. It’s been a long time since I’ve been back to Nigeria. It’s hard for me to go back because I don’t have a break in the winter, and summer is the rainy season, so you never really know what you’re going to get, but when I was young, I went there three or four times.”

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Akanji also spoke about his first game played at San Siro, against Inter, with Borussia Dortmund.

 “I remember the atmosphere was unbelievable. I can’t wait to play there again. Hopefully, we’ll get a good result together,” he said.

“The first football shirt I had was from Christian Vieri. It was somehow with me. Even if I wasn’t an Inter fan, I always followed Inter because they’ve been one of the best teams in Italy, if not the best, even in the last two years. I followed a lot of teams, but Inter were really good in the past, and I’ve always been following the team.

 “You never really know where you end up in your career. Now I am here and I’m really happy about it. I hope to win as many titles as possible and be a big part of it. I want to play everywhere I go and improve as a player and as a person; these are the most important things for me.”

Akanji has immediately become a regular starter at Inter, making five appearances across all competitions with the Serie A giants.

The Nerazzurri have won two games from two in the Champions League, but have only collected nine points in the opening five Serie A rounds.

Manuel Akanji is expected to make his Inter debut in one of the biggest games of the season tomorrow, starting against the Nerazzurri’s arch rivals, Juventus.

Swiss defender Akanji, the final Inter signing in the summer transfer window, is expected to start against Juventus today.

During a pre-match press conference on Friday, Chivu provided an update on the ex-Manchester City defender, suggesting that he’d start against the Old Lady.

Akanji expected to start in Juventus-Inter

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“Akanji is an important player with international value and stature,” Chivu said via TMW. “All the players are essential to contribute to the pursuit of our goals. The players I have are the best, and I’m happy with them. Akanji is ready to play.”

Inter have one victory and one defeat in the opening two Serie A games of the season. Juventus, on the other hand, have had a perfect start with two wins, three goals scored, and none conceded.

Akanji has joined Inter on an initial loan deal. The Nerazzurri have an option to make his move permanent for €15m.

Akanji won several trophies during his time at Manchester City, including two Premier League titles and one Champions League title.

Akanji faced Juventus less than three months ago, on June 26, when his former club Manchester City beat the Old Lady 5-2 in a group stage game at the Club World Cup.