The incredible development of Raphael Odogwu

The already 31-year-old Odogwu has made a huge impact in Serie B. So far the attacker has commuted between Serie D and Serie C, three years ago he played against St. Georgen and Virtus Bozen, now he scores against Venezia and Palermo.

In the late autumn of his career, the beefy center forward, who has already been compared to superstar Romelu Lukaku by Bisoli, suddenly blossoms. "Why it is like that? For years I was content with what was. There was a lack of ambition to strive for something higher. “I sat back too soon,” Odogwu criticizes himself. “But it wasn’t just my fault. In Serie D I scored 16 or 17 goals a season - but there was never any interest in me from higher-class clubs." Difficult early days at FCS After all, it was Luigi Fresco, coach and president of Virtus Verona, who helped Odogwu make his breakthrough in professional football. The move to FCS followed in 2020, but the injury devil struck immediately. In the first championship game in Ravenna, Odogwu tore a ligament in his knee and was out for 3 months. A muscle strain slowed him down again. “I was out of action for practically 5 months, and it was extremely difficult for a player like me to come back,” says the striker, who ended up only starting 8 times in the championship in his first FCS year.

In the last championship season he made 32 league appearances and 5 goals, all of which he scored in the first half of the season. After promotion, it was clear to the club: Serie B was too big for Odogwu. “At the end of May, the sports director informed me of his intentions. We would find a satisfactory solution for both sides, he said, but also assured me that I would be able to take part in the entire preparation with the team until the change. It was fine for me,” says Odogwu, who has Michele Marconi to thank when he goes hunting for goals in Serie B today and no longer in the third division. “If Marconi had signed at the end of July, I would have been gone, that’s for sure.” Raphael Odogwu “If Marconi had signed at the end of July, I would have been gone, that's for sure,” says Odogwu. It was “my luck” that the negotiations with the desired striker dragged on, smiles the new FCS crowd favorite, who for the first time had legitimate hopes of staying in South Tyrol after parting ways with Lamberto Zauli. “Leandro Greco told me to be ready. Then I realized that now my big chance had come. Coach Bisoli later vetoed my move.” Odogwu feels at home in South Tyrol Odogwu's contract expires at the end of the season, he definitely wants to stay with FCS, feels comfortable in South Tyrol, his wife stayed in Verona, but comes regularly to Tramin, where Odogwu has lived since 2020. His neighbors there are Kevin Vinetot, goalie coach Max Marini, fitness coach Andrea Arpili and match analyst Lorenzo Vagnini. “I want to continue where I started. Only 8 rounds have been completed, the performance of the first games needs to be confirmed.”

Odogwu himself knows best that he is no longer a surprise. The opponents have studied him, and that was abundantly clear against Benevento. Nevertheless, he was able to convince again and was unstoppable for the visiting defenders, especially in the final phase. “One-on-one in the open field suits me. “I’m not a striker who outplays opponents in tight spaces against dense defensive lines,” explains the 31-year-old, who really enjoys Bisoli’s fast, counter-attacking football.

As a Serie B striker, other doors could soon open for Odogwu, for example at national team level. As the son of a Nigerian father and an Italian mother - the two met while studying architecture in Venice - the FCS striker would be eligible to play for Nigeria. “No, I’ve never thought of that,” says Odogwu modestly. But who knows: the fact that he would scare defenders in Serie B was unimaginable even a few years ago.

Serie B Italy	SP	TV	P
1. Parma	33	59:32	69
2. As	33	49:35	64
3. Venice	33	60:38	61
4. Cremonese	33	43:28	59
5. Catanzaro	33	53:42	55
6. Palermo	33	58:48	51
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The incredible development of Raphael Odogwu

“He threw away his career!” FCS coach Pierpaolo Bisoli's statement about Raphael Odogwu after the coup in Palermo made waves. Here is his story.

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