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30.08.2023Bayer 04

Kossounou: 'Bayer 04 are like a big family'

Solid at the back: Defender Odilon Kossounou joined Bayer 04 from Club Brugge in the summer of 2021 and since then he has played 71 games for the Werkself and developed into a key player in the defence. In the recent 3-0 win at Borussia Mönchengladbach, not only did the Black and Red attack impress but the defence including the Ivorian also produced a commanding performance.
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In interview with bayer04.de, the 22-year-old talked about his own impressive development, interaction with his teammates on and off the pitch plus his role as en 'enforcer'.

04 questions for… Odilon Kossounou

Odi, with three wins in three games we can talk about a successful start to the season. What do you think are the reasons for that?

Kossounou: I think we have a different mentality this season. We are really on it and that's why our game is better. That process started in the pre-season and now we can see the result in the league. Everybody is performing well individually but, above all, also as a team. That gives us confidence.

How do you assess your development since your move to Leverkusen in the summer of 2021 and in which areas do you think you have made the biggest progress in?

Kossounou: There's a huge difference between the Belgian league and the Bundesliga. When I came here,I mainly needed to improve in the tactical area. Gerardo (Seoane, ed.) and Xabi (Alonso, ed.) both worked with me a lot to make me smarter. Now I've come on a long way.

 

Kossounou in #B04RBL

Feeling good is a crucial factor in a good performance. Why are you so happy here in Leverkusen at the moment?

Kossounou: The atmosphere in the dressing room is brilliant – also the whole staff who work with you here everyday. Everybody gets on with each other. I look forward to coming here every day, training with the lads but also doing things away from the pitch. Of course, I'm very happy when my family can come to watch games but to be honest: The club now feels like a big family to me.

 

My job is simply to keep every striker who gets close to us out of the way.Odilon Kossounou

A good team is also needed for good individual performances. How did you see interaction in the defence and how do you communicate with each other?

Kossounou: In French. (He laughs) But not only the communication with the people next to me in Jona (Jonathan Tah, ed.) and Eddy (Edmond Tapsoba, ed.) is special. Each of us has different qualities and that produces a good mix and probably makes us so good as a group in the end. Eddy is strong on the ball and plays great passes. Jona is our leader in the centre, he communicates a lot and helps us and the team enormously with that. And I… My job is simply to keep every striker who gets close to us out of the way. That mostly works out really well. (He laughs)

 

Tah, Tapsoba, Kossounou auf der Bank

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