Chadrac Akolo is a midfielder who joined Stuttgart from Swiss outfit Sion in the 2017 summer transfer window. He has made one appearance for the Democratic Republic of the Congo's national team. He has come a long way since arriving in Switzerland as a refugee at the age of 14.
Is it true that you went hungry during your youth?
Yes, that's true. The Democratic Republic of Congo is a country with many problems. I think 60 percent of the people in my country suffer from starvation. It might be even more. For many, it's a part of life – and it was for me back then.
What was the situation for you and your family before you decided to flee to Europe?
Everything happened very quickly. I wanted to follow my mother and my father was the only one who stayed behind. I got some money in order to pay for school but I didn't go because I wanted to buy some food with the money instead.
Was your desire to go to school the reason you fled the Congo?
I didn't flee to Europe to become a footballer. When I arrived I only wanted one thing: To go to school. Once I was there, my new friends took me to football and that's when I thought, why not?
What memories do you have of your flight?
I experienced war and many terrible things as a child. But I'm someone who tries to suppress such things, so as not to think of all the terrible things and not try to understand what happened. Sometimes it helps to block out the past but when I do talk about it I remember everything. I also remember the fear I had as a youngster in Switzerland of being sent back to the Congo.
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