| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Xavier Laglais Kouassi[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1989-12-28)28 December 1989 (age 35) | ||
| Place of birth | San-Pédro, Ivory Coast | ||
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Pau | ||
| Number | 4 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2008–2009 | Séwé Sports | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2009–2013 | Servette | 93 | (2) |
| 2013–2016 | FC Sion | 68 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | New England Revolution | 23 | (1) |
| 2018–2020 | FC Sion | 54 | (0) |
| 2020 | Neuchâtel Xamax | 10 | (0) |
| 2020– | Pau | 138 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2011 | Ivory Coast | 1 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 29 December 2024 | |||
Xavier Laglais Kouassi (born 28 December 1989) is an Ivorian professionalfootballer who plays as adefender who plays forPau FC in theLigue 2.
He spent most of his career in theSwiss Super League withServette and two spells atSion. He made 215 total appearances in the competition and won theSwiss Cup with Sion in2015. He also played inMajor League Soccer for theNew England Revolution in2017.
Kouassi earned onecap for theIvory Coast againstIsrael in August 2011.
Born inSan-Pédro, Kouassi began his career at local sideSéwé Sports before moving toServette FC in theSwiss Super League in 2009. He made his professional debut on 1 November that year, playing the full 90 minutes of a goalless away draw withFC Winterthur.
On 16 July 2013, Kouassi transferred toFC Sion of the same league, on a three-year deal.[2] He played five of six matches as they won theSwiss Cup in 2014–15, including the 3–0 final win overFC Basel on 7 June.[3]
Kouassi joined theNew England Revolution ofMajor League Soccer on 1 February 2016, joining as adesignated player effective from July.[4] However, a major injury to his right knee ruled him out for over a year, and he did not debut for his new team until 19 March 2017 in a 2–1 loss toFC Dallas; though used for only 45 minutes per game in pre-season due to this injury, he made it to 79. He was praised for his performance by head coachJay Heaps and teammateScott Caldwell.[5]
On 1 June 2017, Kouassi scored his only goal for the Revs in a 2–2 draw withNew York City FC.[6] In September, he received straight red cards in heavy away losses toAtlanta United FC (7–0) andOrlando City SC (6–1), in the 16th and 11th minutes of the respective games.[7][8]
Kouassi returned to Sion on 15 February 2018, the last day of Switzerland's transfer window.[9] In February 2020, before the Super League was postponed due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, he was sent off in consecutive matches againstFC Zürich andNeuchâtel Xamax FCS. The latter dismissal earned him a public criticism by club ownerChristian Constantin, who considered it to have "murdered" the entire team's efforts.[10]
Clubcaptain Kouassi and eight other players were sacked by Sion on 20 March 2020, having refused a pay-cut amidst the pandemic.[11]
On 16 June 2020, Kouassi signed forNeuchâtel Xamax.[12]
On 13 September 2020, Kouassi signed forPau FC.[13]
Kouassi earned onecap for theIvory Coast on 10 August 2011. He replacedGervinho in the last minute of a 4–3 friendly win overIsrael at theStade de Genève, the home of his then-club Servette.[14]
FC Sion