# Odilon Kossounou

Kouakou Odilon Dorgeless Kossounou (; 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
### 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.

### Hammarby IF

On 11 January 2019, shortly after his 18th birthday, Kossounou signed a four-year contract with Hammarby. 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. 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. 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. 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.

### 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.

### Bayer Leverkusen

On 22 July 2021, Kossounou joined Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen on a five-year deal for a reported €23 million fee.
On 28 August 2024, Kossounou joined Atalanta in Italy on loan with an option to buy.

## International career

Kossounou debuted with the Ivory Coast national team in a 1–1 friendly draw with Belgium on 8 October 2020.
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
In December 2023, Kossounou was named in the Ivory Coast's squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. He went on to start three games, including the final where Ivory Coast won against Nigeria by a score of 2–1.

## Playing style

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.

## 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.

## Career statistics
### Club

    As of match played 11 January 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | National cup | National cup | Europe | Europe | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | 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 | 0 | — | — | 12 | 0 |
| Club Brugge | 2020–21 | Belgian Pro League | 33 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | — | 42 | 1 |
| Club Brugge | 2021–22 | Belgian Pro League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Club Brugge | Total | Total | 40 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 55 | 1 |
| Bayer Leverkusen | 2021–22 | Bundesliga | 27 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 0 |
| Bayer Leverkusen | 2022–23 | Bundesliga | 24 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | — | — | 35 | 0 |
| Bayer Leverkusen | 2023–24 | Bundesliga | 22 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 0 | — | — | 34 | 1 |
| Bayer Leverkusen | Total | Total | 73 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 23 | 0 | — | — | 102 | 1 |
| Atalanta (loan) | 2024–25 | Serie A | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 134 | 2 | 13 | 0 | 38 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 187 | 2 |
* ↑ Includes Svenska Cupen, Belgian Cup, DFB-Pokal
* ↑ Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, two appearances in UEFA Europa League
* ↑ Five appearances in UEFA Champions League, two appearances in UEFA Europa League
* ↑ Appearance in Belgian Super Cup
* 1 2 Appearances in UEFA Europa League
* ↑ Five appearances in UEFA Champions League, five appearances in UEFA Europa League
* ↑ Appearances in UEFA Champions League
* ↑ Appearance in Supercoppa Italiana

### International

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

## Honours

Club Brugge
* Belgian Pro League: 2019–20, 2020–21
* Belgian Super Cup: 2021
Bayer Leverkusen
* Bundesliga: 2023–24
* DFB-Pokal: 2023–24
* DFL-Supercup: 2024
Ivory Coast
* Africa Cup of Nations: 2023