Johan Manzambi could become Switzerland's secret weapon at the World Cup. Murat Yakin is puzzled by his position at Freiburg and would rather use him further forward, as he reveals in the football talk Heimspiel.
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- Johan Manzambi has impressed at SC Freiburg with 39 appearances and has helped the club reach the semi-finals of the Europa League and DFB Cup.
- National team coach Murat Yakin sees him more as an attacking midfielder, but plans to use him on the wing for the World Cup. The reason for this is the strong competition in the center and a greater need on the wings.
- While Fabian Frei also sees him as more of an attacking player, Andreas Böni describes the 20-year-old as a potential next Swiss superstar.
Shortly before the World Cup, Johan Manzambi is playing his way into the limelight in Freiburg. The 20-year-old Swiss has already played 39 games this season and has played his part in helping the Breisgau side reach the semi-finals of both the Europa League and the DFB Cup.
The offensively strong Manzambi plays a fairly defensive role. Coach Julian Schuster deployed him in the six-man position in defensive midfield. Also to the astonishment of national team coach Murat Yakin. "I'm amazed that he plays in such a responsible position at Freiburg," he says on blue Sport's football talk show Heimspiel.
At the World Cup as a winger
Because Yakin sees Manzambi further forward. "I notice in training that he likes to have the ball and has a great urge to score. For me, he's a typical ten-man who can work in both directions."
However, he is unlikely to be used there at the World Cup, as Yakin revealed in the blue Sport studio. "We have so many players in the center and a lot of competition. Offensively, we don't have much choice. With his wit and his still somewhat unstructured nature, you can simply throw him in as a winger. That's why I see him in these intensive positions on the side."
"The next Swiss superstar"
It is also clear to Fabian Frei that Manzambi will not play in the center in the national team. The former Super League player sits in the group as an expert and says: "If Denis Zakaria doesn't have a place in the center, I'd rather see him further forward."
However, Andreas Böni, editor-in-chief of blue Sport, finds this comparison difficult. Because: "For me, Manzambi will be the next Swiss superstar. I have more faith in him than Zakaria in the next five years."
It remains to be seen in which position Manzambi will ultimately play in the USA. But with him, Yakin definitely has a flexible secret weapon up his sleeve.
