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Emanuel Aiwu

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Emanuel Aiwu
Aiwu playing forRapid Wienin 2022
Personal information
Full name Emanuel Aiwu[1]
Date of birth (2000-12-25)25 December 2000(age 23)[2]
Place of birth Innsbruck,Austria
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[3]
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
 Cremonese
Youth career
2006–2013 SKN St. Pölten
2013–2017 Admira Wacker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–2019 Admira WackerII 20 (0)
2017–2021 Admira Wacker 81 (5)
2021–2022 Rapid Wien 23 (2)
2022– Cremonese 23 (0)
2023–2024 →Birmingham City(loan) 24 (0)
International career
2018 Austria U18 2 (0)
2018 Austria U19 6 (1)
2019 Austria U20 2 (0)
2019–2022 Austria U21 13 (2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15:31, 2 July 2024 (UTC)

Emanuel Aiwu(born 25 December 2000) is an Austrian professionalfootballerwho plays as adefenderSerie BclubCremonese.He previously playedAustrian Bundesligafootball forAdmira Wacker(2018–2021) andRapid Wien(2021–2022) before joining Cremonese ahead of the2022–23 Serie Aseason. He spent the 2023–24 season on loan at EnglishChampionship(second-tier) clubBirmingham City.He has represented Austria fromunder-18tounder-21levels.

Early and personal life[edit]

Aiwu was born inInnsbruck,Austria,[4][5]to a Nigerian father, Nathan Aiwu, and an Austrian mother, Heidi Semper, who began her training as a teacher of disabled people while Emanuel was still a baby. He has a younger brother, Elias.[4]The family moved toSt. Pöltenin 2006, where the boys began to play football.[4]

Club career[edit]

Aiwu spent seven years with his hometown club,SKN St. Pölten,before joiningAdmira Wackerin 2013.[6]He came through the youth system to make his senior debut while still a 16-year-old, starting and playing the whole game for Admira II in theRegional League Easton 1 September 2017. He made 15 appearances for Admira II, contributed three goals from nine matches for Admira U18 as they went on to win the 2017–18 Jugendliga, found his way into the first-team squad and, towards the end of the season, started threeBundesligamatches, the first coming in a goalless draw away toAustria Wienon 5 May 2018.[6][7]

The following season, Aiwu was a first-team regular,[2]and in February 2020, reigning championsRed Bull Salzburgmade an offer for his services. Although the fee received would have been a club record fee, in excess of the €2.5 million paid byVfB StuttgartforSaša Kalajdžić,Admira turned it down, believing that Aiwu on the field was of more use to the relegation-threatened club than money in the bank.[8][9][4]Admirastayed upAiwu stayed on for a further season, taking his top-flight appearance totals to 81 matches and five goals.[2]

With the 2021 transfer deadline approaching and speculation rife as to Aiwu's future, he told his coach that he was not fit to play in that day's match againstSturm Graz.Although he insisted that he had not wanted to harm the team by playing while mentally and physically exhausted, his action was widely perceived as a strike in order to force a move, and he and his family were victims of online abuse, some of a racist nature.[10][11][12]

The following day, Aiwu joined another Bundesliga club,Rapid Wien,on a three-year contract. The fee was undisclosed.[5]He made his debut on 15 September, starting in the home defeat againstGenkin theEuropa League group stage,and rarely missed a game thereafter.[2]The club's sporting director,Zoran Barišić,said that Aiwu had gone to another level during the season, fulfilling all the expectations they had of him, and had behaved in a professional manner throughout.[13]

On 5 August 2022, Aiwu joinedSerie AclubCremonese,newly promoted toSerie A,[14]on a four-year contract for a fee reported as €3.5 million.[15]He played regularly for the first part of the season, but a mid-season change of management brought in a coach who preferred older, more experienced defenders, and although Aiwu was still a regular in the matchday squad, he rarely started.[16][2]Cremonese were relegated, and it appeared that Aiwu saw his future at a higher level thanSerie B.[17]

Despite his adviser's mention of interest from top-five leagues,[17]and reports of possible moves to TurkishSuper LigclubBesiktas[18]and toBurnley,newly returned to thePremier League,[19]Aiwu signed for EnglishChampionship(second-tier) clubBirmingham Cityon 31 August 2023on loanfor the season.[20]The deal included an option to purchase.[20]After a lengthy spell as an unused member of the matchday squad, Aiwu made his Birmingham debut on 3 October as a late substitute in a 4–1 win at home toHuddersfield Town.[21]

International career[edit]

Aiwu's first international appearance for Austria came atunder-18 levelin 2018. Called up for twofriendliesagainstUkraine,he was an unused substitute for the first match and started the second, a 3–0 win on 23 March.[22]He made six appearances, scoring once, forAustria under-19s,[23]and moved into theunder-20sthe following year.[24]Aiwu was approached to representNigeriaat the2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup,but declined, preferring to continue within the Austrian system.[25][26]Aiwu made hisAustria under-21debut in October 2019 in2021 European Championship qualifieragainstTurkey,went on to make thirteen appearances, including seven in2023 European qualifying,and captained the side.[27][28]

Career statistics[edit]

As of end of 2023–24 season[2]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Admira Wacker II 2017–18 Austrian Regionalliga East 15 0 — — — 15 0
2018–19 Austrian Regionalliga East 5 0 — — — 5 0
Total 20 0 — — — 20 0
Admira Wacker 2017–18 Austrian Bundesliga 3 0 — — — 3 0
2018–19 Austrian Bundesliga 19 3 1 0 1[b] 0 — 21 3
2019–20 Austrian Bundesliga 26 0 2 0 — — 28 0
2020–21 Austrian Bundesliga 28 1 1 0 — — 29 1
2021–22 Austrian Bundesliga 5 1 1 0 — — 6 1
Total 81 5 5 0 1 0 — 87 5
Rapid Wien 2021–22 Austrian Bundesliga 23 2 3 0 8[c] 0 2[d] 0 36 2
2022–23 Austrian Bundesliga 0 0 1 0 2[e] 0 — 3 0
Total 23 2 4 0 10 0 2 0 39 2
Cremonese 2022–23 Serie A 23 0 4 0 — — 27 0
2023–24 Serie B 0 0 0 0 — — 0 0
Total 23 0 4 0 — — 27 0
Birmingham City(loan) 2023–24 Championship 24 0 1 0 — — 25 0
Career total 171 7 14 0 11 0 2 0 198 7
  1. ^IncludesAustrian Cup,Coppa Italia,FA Cup
  2. ^Appearance inUEFA Europa League
  3. ^Six appearances in UEFA Europa League, two inUEFA Europa Conference League
  4. ^Appearances inBundesliga UEFA Conference League play-offs
  5. ^Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League

References[edit]

  1. ^"EFL – Squad List 2022/23: Birmingham City – In Squad Players"(PDF).English Football League. p. 2.Retrieved7 September2023.
  2. ^abcdef"E. Aiwu".Soccerway.Perform Group.Retrieved8 May2024.
  3. ^"No. 4 Emanuel Aiwu".US Cremonese. Archived fromthe originalon 30 August 2023.Retrieved30 August2023.
  4. ^abcdSuchy, Petra (16 February 2020)."Der Mann, den Red Bull nicht kaufen konnte"[The man Red Bull couldn't buy].Niederösterreichische Nachrichten(in German). St. Polten.Archivedfrom the original on 17 February 2020.Retrieved1 September2023.
  5. ^ab"Emanuel Aiwu joins SK Rapid".SK Rapid. 30 August 2021.Retrieved1 September2023.
  6. ^ab"Emanuel Aiwu"(in German). Österreichischer Fußball-Bund.Retrieved1 September2023.
  7. ^"Admira verlängert mit vier Nachwuchsspielern"[Admira extend four youth players' contracts].Sky Sport Austria(in German). 29 March 2018.Retrieved1 September2023.
  8. ^Huber, Alexander (8 February 2020)."Admira verzichtet auf eine Rekordablöse für Emanuel Aiwu"[Admira turns down a record fee for Emanuel Aiwu].Kurier(in German). Vienna.Archivedfrom the original on 15 September 2020.Retrieved1 September2023.
  9. ^Ringsmuth, Daniel (8 February 2020)."Aiwu-Transfer zu Red Bull Salzburg abgelehnt: Admira verzichtete auf Millionen-Ablöse!"[Aiwu transfer to Red Bull Salzburg rejected: Admira turn down fee in the millions!].Ligaportal.at(in German).Retrieved1 September2023.
  10. ^"Emanuel Aiwu will Admira-Abgang erstreiken"[Emanuel Aiwu wants to go on strike to leave Admira].LAOLA1.at(in German). 29 August 2021.Retrieved1 September2023.
  11. ^"Rapid verpflichtet Admiras streikenden Aiwu"[Rapid sign Admira's on-strike Aiwu].Sky Sport Austria(in German). 30 August 2021.Retrieved1 September2023.
  12. ^"Jetzt redet Aiwu: „Ich war einfach fix und fertig""[Now Aiwu speaks: "I was just shattered" ].Kronen Zeitung(in German). Vienna. 31 August 2021.Retrieved1 September2023.
  13. ^"Aiwu wechselt nach Italien"[Aiwu switches to Italy] (in German). SK Rapid. 5 August 2022.Retrieved1 September2023.Emanuel Aiwu hat in der letzten Saison einen weiteren Schritt nach vorne gemacht und die hohen Erwartungen, die wir in ihn gesetzt haben, absolut erfüllt.... Ich wünsche 'Manu', der sich bei uns stets sehr professionell verhalten hat, alles Gute für seine nächste Karrierestation.
  14. ^"Aiwu nuovo calciatore della Cremonese"[Aiwu new Cremonese player] (in Italian). US Cremonese. 5 August 2022. Archived fromthe originalon 8 August 2022.Retrieved5 August2022.
  15. ^Ambrose, Lewis (19 June 2023)."Aiwu-Berater:" Nigeria hätte ihn schon jetzt eingeladen ""[Aiwu adviser: "Nigeria had already invited him" ].LAOLA1.at(in German).Retrieved1 September2023.
  16. ^Aiwu, Emanuel (27 April 2023)."Aiwu für Nigeria?" Würde lügen, wenn ich sage, dass ich mir keine Gedanken darüber mache ""[Aiwu for Nigeria? "Be lying if I say I never think about it" ].kicker(in German). Interviewed by Maximilian Augustin.Retrieved1 September2023.
  17. ^abBrillmann, Marcello (19 June 2023)."Berater Brillmann über Aiwu-Zukunft:" Es gibt sowohl Interessenten aus den Top-fünf-Ligen, wie auch aus kleineren Ligen ""[Adviser Brillmann on Aiwu's future: "There's interest from the top five leagues as well as from smaller leagues" ].kicker(Interview) (in German). Interviewed by Maximilian Augustin.Retrieved1 September2023.
  18. ^Emmanuel, Ifeanyi (14 August 2023)."Besiktas keen to sign Aiwu as talks stall with Manchester United for 2015 Afcon".All Nigeria Soccer.Retrieved1 September2023.
  19. ^Scrafton, Matt (20 June 2023)."'There is contact': Update emerges on Burnley's interest in Austrian defender ".Burnley Express.Retrieved1 September2023.
  20. ^ab"Emanuel Aiwu signs for Blues on loan".Birmingham City F.C. 31 August 2023.Retrieved1 September2023.
  21. ^"Birmingham City 4–1 Huddersfield Town".BBC Sport.3 October 2023.Retrieved3 October2023.
  22. ^"Emanuel Aiwu U18"(in German). Österreichischer Fußball-Bund.Retrieved1 September2023.Match list includes all matches for which Aiwu was named, whether he took the field or not.
  23. ^"Emanuel Aiwu U19"(in German). Österreichischer Fußball-Bund.Retrieved1 September2023.
  24. ^"Emanuel Aiwu U20"(in German). Österreichischer Fußball-Bund.Retrieved1 September2023.
  25. ^"Austria based defender Emanuel Aiwu snubs Nigeria U20, opts for Austria".OwnGoalNigeria.14 March 2019.Retrieved1 September2023.
  26. ^Prantl, Harald; Urhofer, Simon (14 August 2019)."Ranking: Die größten ÖFB-Talente"[Ranking: The greatest Austrian talents].LAOLA1.at(in German).Retrieved1 September2023.
  27. ^"Emanuel Aiwu U21"(in German). Österreichischer Fußball-Bund.Retrieved1 September2023.
  28. ^"U21 siegt zum Jahresabschluss gegen Ungarn"[U21 end the year with a win against Hungary] (in German). Österreichischer Fußball-Bund.Retrieved1 September2023.

External links[edit]

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