Denis Zakaria is Monegasque!
AS Monaco and Juventus have reached and agreement for the transfer of Denis Zakaria. The imposing midfielder (1m90) is set to make his Ligue 1 debut after experiences in Switzerland, Germany, Italy and England.
Denis Zakaria is here 🇨🇭🌟 pic.twitter.com/EDHMPYfD5a
— AS Monaco EN (@AS_Monaco_EN) August 14, 2023
A talent made in Switzerland
Born in Geneva, Denis Zakaria trained at Servette FC from 2004 to 2014, when he signed his first professional contract. At just 17, he made his debut in an official match against FC Lausanne-Sport in November 2014.
Young Boys of Bern quickly noticed his potential and recruited him in the summer of 2015. Under the management of Adi Hütter, he made his debut in the Super League, playing 67 games (2 goals, 4 assists) and helped the team to second place in the league during those two seasons. It was also during this period that he discovered European play, playing his very first match against AS Monaco in July 2015, in the third preliminary round of the Champions League.
146 Bundesliga matches
In the summer of 2017, at the age of 21, Denis Zakaria left his native country to join Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Bundesliga. Playing as a defensive midfielder, where he could show off his passing and ball recovery skills, the Swiss played 146 games, scoring 11 goals and providing 8 assists.
His consistency at the highest level and his performances contributed to the success of the team, which finished fifth in the Bundesliga in 2019 and 4th in 2020. During his years in North Rhine-Westphalia, the Swiss player competed in the Europa League and the Champions League, and also played alongside his national teammate Breel Embolo (2019-2022).
A spell at Juventus and Chelsea FC
After five years in Germany, he joined Juventus in the winter of 2022. With The Old Lady, Denis Zakaria played 15 games (scoring one goal). While there, he made his debut in Serie A and played in the last 16 of the Champions League. He was then loaned to Chelsea Football Club (11 games, one goal) for the 2022-2023 season, a new experience that allowed him to play in the Premier League.
🔵 One for @ChelseaFC fans!
Should Denis Zakaria get a Premier League start against Arsenal this weekend? 👀 #CFC
A look at his performance in the Champions League midweek 👇pic.twitter.com/Tim0PA4S31
— JD Football (@JDFootball) November 4, 2022
Four international competitions with Switzerland
His performances for his club have earned him numerous caps for Switzerland, the first of which came when he was 19. Since then, the defensive midfielder has played 49 matches, scoring three goals and providing four assists. A key figure in the Swiss national team, he has represented his country at the last four major international tournaments (European Championships in 2016 and 2020 and World Cups in 2018 and 2022).
AS Monaco wishes him every success in the red & white diagonal jersey! 🇲🇨
