Swiss watch - A day with Manuel Akanji His Fashion Week debut

For the latest episode of Extratime, the video format produced by nss sports, we decided to spend an entire day with Manuel Akanji, accompanying him during his absolute debut as a guest at fashion week. We followed him throughout his journey, from the shows of Saul Nash and Domenico Orefice, who dressed the footballer with the help of stylist Brian Gallo for his first time in the fashion world. From the 1:30 PM fitting, we headed to the Saul Nash show. Manuel told us that this was his very first time at fashion week, also because since being in Milan, it was the first opportunity he had to attend: Basel first, Dortmund next, and finally Manchester are not exactly cities accustomed to fashion weeks.

Now that he had the opportunity, Akanji couldn’t wait to experience this moment. He tells us: “If I weren’t here in the van, heading to the Saul Nash show, I’d probably be on the couch resting right now.” In fact, we met him only two days before Inter–Arsenal, a crucial match to avoid the Champions League playoffs, a competition from which the Nerazzurri were subsequently eliminated. It is precisely from the excitement of this first experience that we start talking about fashion, inevitably passing through the circuits of the Inter locker room. He tells us: “The best-dressed player among my teammates is Marcus Thuram: I always see him in tracksuits, I’ve never seen him dressed ‘well’ during matches or training, yet I know Marcus dresses well. When I played at Manchester City, for example, I never saw Rúben Dias show up to training in a tracksuit: he has always been the one most attentive to fashion.”

The conversation then moves on to the footballer’s adaptation to Milan, sharing his happiness in various aspects, primarily privacy, but also the opportunities the city offers. “I’ve never had major problems with privacy: in the teams I’ve played for, fans are very accustomed to big stars, so I’ve never felt overexposed. I know, for example, of many Liverpool players who are forced to live in Manchester due to privacy issues. Here in Milan, however, the adoration for footballers is higher, and I often get asked for photos.” Between outfit changes, the appointment to discover the collection in the Etro showroom, and endless rides on the van taking us wherever Manuel wants, he talks about his passion for watches.

“I’m a huge watch enthusiast: Patek Philippe, Rolex, Audemars Piguet. I have many friends who buy them even just as an investment, so I started doing the same. I still remember the first watch I bought: a two-tone Rolex Submariner in white and yellow gold, with a blue dial: a beauty.” This is also part of Manuel Akanji’s life: a great passion for watches, like any self-respecting Swiss. An object that is also a symbol of his style of play, characterized by precision and clean interventions, a true Swiss watch. Then we end up chatting about various topics, the music he listens to, in short his tastes all around: “My favorite music genre is afrobeat: Burna Boy, Shokka. But strangely, before matches, I don’t pump myself up with these artists. Recently I listen to Lionel Richie, Stuck On You: it’s a calm song and it relaxes me before the ninety minutes.”