ZACHARY ATHEKAME: FOCUS AND FUN FACTS

The Switzerland-Milan connection gets strong. After Ardon, here is Zachary. Athekame has joined AC Milan, concluding a quick flurry of transfer-market activity for the Rossoneri. The Club has shown clear commitment to bolstering the backline, as Athekame, who was born on 13 December 2004 in Geneva, has become the latest defensive addition following Estupiñan.

Standing at 1.8m and weighing in at 74kg, Athekame is a right-footed full-back who can operate further up the pitch or down the left-hand side. A physically powerful player, he is a strong runner and quick off the mark. He is gifted in defending 1-v-1 and with dynamic sliding challenges. He's a brave defender, but as a youngster, he still has ample room to grow. He's already at full fitness, given that the Swiss Super League got underway at the end of July, and he played in the first few weeks of the campaign.

Athekame started out playing youth football for Servette and Meyrin (2018-2022). His first taste of the men's game came at Neuchâtel Xamax. With Xamax, he made it to the Challenge League, the second tier of Swiss football, and also featured in the Cup. Between 2022 and 2024, he played 50 times, scoring four goals and assisting three.

BSC Young Boys took note, and he started to feature fully from last summer. He carved out a key role within the team, playing 47 games and chipping in with one goal and three assists. Of particular note were his eight league-phase outings in the Champions League, as he played against Barcelona and Serie A sides Atalanta and Inter. To date, his rise through the Switzerland set-up has taken him to the nation's Under-21 side, for whom he has made ten appearances. He is still awaiting a call-up to the Switzerland men's team, but head coach Murat Yakin was full of praise for the youngster, stating, "he's a promising player. I've followed him closely; he's developing well. He's already got some decent experience under his belt. He has a lot of energy and is tactically intelligent."

He is the seventh Swiss player in our history, the first being Vogel. He has chosen the number 24, which was recently worn by Alessandro Florenzi and Simon Kjær. This is certainly a promising signing, one which we will have to keep a close eye on. Zachary Athekame is officially at AC Milan and is ready to settle into Max Allegri's squad and meet his teammates ahead of their first competitive outing of the season.

San Siro awaits, and Bari in the Coppa Italia on Sunday will be his first taste of home. Then, we have our league opener against Cremonese next Saturday. His arrival comes just as the season begins, and he will certainly feature in the coming campaign, hopefully heavily.

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