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Emanuel Aiwu

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Emanuel Aiwu
Aiwu playing for Rapid Wien in 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
 Sturm Graz
Number 47
Youth career
2006–2013 SKN St. Pölten
2013–2017 Admira Wacker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–2019 Admira Wacker II 20 (0)
2017–2021 Admira Wacker 81 (5)
2021–2022 Rapid Wien 23 (2)
2022–2024 Cremonese 23 (0)
2023–2024 → Birmingham City (loan) 24 (0)
2024– Sturm Graz 11 (1)
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 19:02, 27 October 2024 (UTC)

Emanuel Aiwu (born 25 December 2000) is an Austrian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Austrian Bundesliga club Sturm Graz. He previously played Austrian Bundesliga football for Admira Wacker (2018–2021) and Rapid Wien (2021–2022) before joining Cremonese ahead of the 2022–23 Serie A season. He spent the 2023–24 season on loan at English Championship (second-tier) club Birmingham City. He has represented Austria from under-18 to under-21 levels.

Early and personal life

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Aiwu was born in Innsbruck, 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 to St. Pölten in 2006, where the boys began to play football.[4]

Club career

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Aiwu spent seven years with his hometown club, SKN St. Pölten, before joining Admira Wacker in 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 the Regional League East on 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 three Bundesliga matches, the first coming in a goalless draw away to Austria Wien on 5 May 2018.[6][7]

The following season, Aiwu was a first-team regular,[2] and in February 2020, reigning champions Red Bull Salzburg made an offer for his services. Although the fee received would have been a club record fee, in excess of the €2.5 million paid by VfB Stuttgart for Saša 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] Admira stayed up Aiwu 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 against Sturm 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 against Genk in the Europa 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 joined Serie A club Cremonese, newly promoted to Serie 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 than Serie B.[17]

Despite his adviser's mention of interest from top-five leagues,[17] and reports of possible moves to Turkish Super Lig club Besiktas[18] and to Burnley, newly returned to the Premier League,[19] Aiwu signed for English Championship (second-tier) club Birmingham City on 31 August 2023 on loan for 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 to Huddersfield Town.[21]

International career

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Aiwu's first international appearance for Austria came at under-18 level in 2018. Called up for two friendlies against Ukraine, 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, for Austria under-19s,[23] and moved into the under-20s the following year.[24] Aiwu was approached to represent Nigeria at the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup, but declined, preferring to continue within the Austrian system.[25][26] Aiwu made his Austria under-21 debut in October 2019 in 2021 European Championship qualifier against Turkey, went on to make thirteen appearances, including seven in 2023 European qualifying, and captained the side.[27][28]

Career statistics

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As of match played 30 October 2024[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
Sturm Graz 2024–25 Austrian Bundesliga 11 1 3 0 3[f] 0 — 17 1
Career total 182 8 17 0 14 0 2 0 215 8
  1. ^ Includes Austrian Cup, Coppa Italia, FA Cup
  2. ^ Appearance in UEFA Europa League
  3. ^ Six appearances in UEFA Europa League, two in UEFA Europa Conference League
  4. ^ Appearances in Bundesliga UEFA Conference League play-offs
  5. ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
  6. ^ Appearance in UEFA Champions League

References

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  1. ^ "EFL – Squad List 2022/23: Birmingham City – In Squad Players" (PDF). English Football League. p. 2. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "E. Aiwu". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
  3. ^ "No. 4 Emanuel Aiwu". US Cremonese. Archived from the original on 30 August 2023. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d Suchy, 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. Archived from the original on 17 February 2020. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Emanuel Aiwu joins SK Rapid". SK Rapid. 30 August 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Emanuel Aiwu" (in German). Österreichischer Fußball-Bund. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  7. ^ "Admira verlängert mit vier Nachwuchsspielern" [Admira extend four youth players' contracts]. Sky Sport Austria (in German). 29 March 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  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. Archived from the original on 15 September 2020. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  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). Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  10. ^ "Emanuel Aiwu will Admira-Abgang erstreiken" [Emanuel Aiwu wants to go on strike to leave Admira]. LAOLA1.at (in German). 29 August 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  11. ^ "Rapid verpflichtet Admiras streikenden Aiwu" [Rapid sign Admira's on-strike Aiwu]. Sky Sport Austria (in German). 30 August 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  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. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  13. ^ "Aiwu wechselt nach Italien" [Aiwu switches to Italy] (in German). SK Rapid. 5 August 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2023. 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 from the original on 8 August 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  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). Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  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. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  17. ^ a b Brillmann, 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. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  18. ^ Emmanuel, Ifeanyi (14 August 2023). "Besiktas keen to sign Aiwu as talks stall with Manchester United for 2015 Afcon". All Nigeria Soccer. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  19. ^ Scrafton, Matt (20 June 2023). "'There is contact': Update emerges on Burnley's interest in Austrian defender". Burnley Express. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  20. ^ a b "Emanuel Aiwu signs for Blues on loan". Birmingham City F.C. 31 August 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  21. ^ "Birmingham City 4–1 Huddersfield Town". BBC Sport. 3 October 2023. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  22. ^ "Emanuel Aiwu U18" (in German). Österreichischer Fußball-Bund. Retrieved 1 September 2023. 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. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  24. ^ "Emanuel Aiwu U20" (in German). Österreichischer Fußball-Bund. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  25. ^ "Austria based defender Emanuel Aiwu snubs Nigeria U20, opts for Austria". OwnGoalNigeria. 14 March 2019. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  26. ^ Prantl, Harald; Urhofer, Simon (14 August 2019). "Ranking: Die größten ÖFB-Talente" [Ranking: The greatest Austrian talents]. LAOLA1.at (in German). Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  27. ^ "Emanuel Aiwu U21" (in German). Österreichischer Fußball-Bund. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  28. ^ "U21 siegt zum Jahresabschluss gegen Ungarn" [U21 end the year with a win against Hungary] (in German). Österreichischer Fußball-Bund. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
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