Manchester City defender Manuel Akanji has revealed that he always has a hot chocolate before a match - something he started a number of years ago while at Borussia Dortmund with now Manchester United forward Jadon Sancho.
The Swiss centre-back signed for Pep Guardiola's side from the Bundesliga giants late in the summer transfer window. He had entered the final year of his contract and was yet to make an appearance for Dortmund this term.
Since his arrival at the Etihad Stadium, the 27-year-old has made seven appearances for City and has impressed at the heart of defence alongside a number of different centre-back partners.
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Akanji played 158 times for the Bundesliga club since joining from Basel in 2018 - with 102 of those appearances coming alongside England international Jadon Sancho. The pair established a strong bond while together in Germany, and were on the same winning side on 65 occasions.
During an interview with the Daily Mail, the City defender opened up on his pre-match routine. He revealed that he started it while at Dortmund with Sancho, and that the duo have remained good friends - despite their allegiances.
"Hot chocolate," he said. "I don’t know why. I started it about three years ago at Dortmund when Jadon Sancho was around.
"We always used to drink a hot chocolate before away games, before bedtime. It is just something that has stayed with me. I think it’s because I used to do it as a kid and I still like it. Jadon was always in the room next to me."
He added: "We spoke today on the phone actually."
Akanji came up against Sancho in the first Manchester derby of the season earlier this month, with the former's side winning the clash 6-3 against United at the Etihad thanks to hat-tricks from Erling Haaland and Phil Foden.
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