by Craig Laycock
Original article:
Player Preview - Ellyes Skhiri
Features in Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia
"Tenacious", "dogged", with "an engine that runs for days": just a few of the ways Tunisia's Ellyes Skhiri has been described over the years by fans of Frankfurt and Tunisia alike. Skhiri, at 30, is entering his prime as a defensive midfielder with a supernatural ability to read the game that might end up being the "X factor" Tunisia need to compete in a challenging group.
Position: Defensive midfielder
Age: 30
Club: Eintracht Frankfurt
International caps: 81 senior caps (4 goals), 1 U23 cap
Who the heck is Ellyes Skhiri?
He's the glue that holds Tunisa together tactically. Not flashy, but extremely effective. With powerful commitment to the cause, he's a dream for international managers looking to quickly impose their game plans on the opposition. Despite not being recognized as an elite player, he's the kind of team player who could make a huge multiplying difference to the quality of Tunisia's performances.
What has he done so far?
Coming through at Montpellier's B team in 2014, he later imposed himself on the senior side, with a successful four year stint in Ligue 1. Earning a move to FC Köln in 2019, he kicked on in Germany, even scoring both goals in a legendary 2-1 away win over Borussia Dortmund. Later, he signed a four year deal with Eintracht Frankfurt and settled in quickly. His first goal for the club was a crucial one to qualify Frankfurt for the 2023-4 Conference League group phase. Important goals at the right time.
What’s his style of play?
He relies on his insane engine to get around the pitch and cover the defensive lines. A ball-winner aby nature, he can quickly distribute with high accuracy to get things moving on the turnover. More often than not he'll cover more than 13km in a single game, marking him out as statistically one of the hardest working midfielders out there.
His passing accuracy of >88% also underlines his ability to make use of the possession he wins back. In short, he's the kind of player who imposes himself on games and provides a huge boost to those around him that they're capable of arresting and reversing opposition momentum.
What do we think he’ll do at the tournament?
He's going to be Tunisia's most important "mentality monster". With his ability to lead by example by putting in unfathomably huge shifts, and his ability to win the ball back in critical moments, he's commands a huge amount of respect in the side. His ability to focus for 90m+ with very few lapses in concentration or passing accuracy suggest he's almost the perfect tournament box-to-box player.
His leadership style is described as "contagious". Vocal on the pitch and a real general ordering the troops even in high-pressure situations.
Armin Veh, former Sporting Director at Köln described him with perfectly pitched German understatedness as "a big, strong player who covers a lot of ground and has a great vision and passing game".
The Tournament Scout Prediction:
We think he's absolutely critical to Tunisia's chances of getting out of what is a difficult group on paper. If he can command the troops and put in his usual insane levels of effort and dedication, we could be looking at a perfect tournament player. The dividends will continue to pay later in the tournament if they can escape the group stage, with stamina, endurance and on-pitch encouragement becoming critical factors between victory and defeat.
Related articles:
7 min read
Player Preview - Ellyes Skhiri
Features in Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia
"Tenacious", "dogged", with "an engine that runs for days": just a few of the ways Tunisia's Ellyes Skhiri has been described over the years by fans of Frankfurt and Tunisia alike. Skhiri, at 30, is entering his prime as a defensive midfielder with a supernatural ability to read the game that might end up being the "X factor" Tunisia need to compete in a challenging group.
Position: Defensive midfielder
Age: 30
Club: Eintracht Frankfurt
International caps: 81 senior caps (4 goals), 1 U23 cap
Who the heck is Ellyes Skhiri?
He's the glue that holds Tunisa together tactically. Not flashy, but extremely effective. With powerful commitment to the cause, he's a dream for international managers looking to quickly impose their game plans on the opposition. Despite not being recognized as an elite player, he's the kind of team player who could make a huge multiplying difference to the quality of Tunisia's performances.
What has he done so far?
Coming through at Montpellier's B team in 2014, he later imposed himself on the senior side, with a successful four year stint in Ligue 1. Earning a move to FC Köln in 2019, he kicked on in Germany, even scoring both goals in a legendary 2-1 away win over Borussia Dortmund. Later, he signed a four year deal with Eintracht Frankfurt and settled in quickly. His first goal for the club was a crucial one to qualify Frankfurt for the 2023-4 Conference League group phase. Important goals at the right time.
What’s his style of play?
He relies on his insane engine to get around the pitch and cover the defensive lines. A ball-winner aby nature, he can quickly distribute with high accuracy to get things moving on the turnover. More often than not he'll cover more than 13km in a single game, marking him out as statistically one of the hardest working midfielders out there.
His passing accuracy of >88% also underlines his ability to make use of the possession he wins back. In short, he's the kind of player who imposes himself on games and provides a huge boost to those around him that they're capable of arresting and reversing opposition momentum.
What do we think he’ll do at the tournament?
He's going to be Tunisia's most important "mentality monster". With his ability to lead by example by putting in unfathomably huge shifts, and his ability to win the ball back in critical moments, he's commands a huge amount of respect in the side. His ability to focus for 90m+ with very few lapses in concentration or passing accuracy suggest he's almost the perfect tournament box-to-box player.
His leadership style is described as "contagious". Vocal on the pitch and a real general ordering the troops even in high-pressure situations.
Armin Veh, former Sporting Director at Köln described him with perfectly pitched German understatedness as "a big, strong player who covers a lot of ground and has a great vision and passing game".
The Tournament Scout Prediction:
We think he's absolutely critical to Tunisia's chances of getting out of what is a difficult group on paper. If he can command the troops and put in his usual insane levels of effort and dedication, we could be looking at a perfect tournament player. The dividends will continue to pay later in the tournament if they can escape the group stage, with stamina, endurance and on-pitch encouragement becoming critical factors between victory and defeat.
Related articles:
Ellyes Skhiri: Tunisia's Frankfurt Fire
He'll run for days.
Original article:
Last updated:
Player Preview - Ellyes Skhiri
Features in Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia
"Tenacious", "dogged", with "an engine that runs for days": just a few of the ways Tunisia's Ellyes Skhiri has been described over the years by fans of Frankfurt and Tunisia alike. Skhiri, at 30, is entering his prime as a defensive midfielder with a supernatural ability to read the game that might end up being the "X factor" Tunisia need to compete in a challenging group.
Position: Defensive midfielder
Age: 30
Club: Eintracht Frankfurt
International caps: 81 senior caps (4 goals), 1 U23 cap
Who the heck is Ellyes Skhiri?
He's the glue that holds Tunisa together tactically. Not flashy, but extremely effective. With powerful commitment to the cause, he's a dream for international managers looking to quickly impose their game plans on the opposition. Despite not being recognized as an elite player, he's the kind of team player who could make a huge multiplying difference to the quality of Tunisia's performances.
What has he done so far?
Coming through at Montpellier's B team in 2014, he later imposed himself on the senior side, with a successful four year stint in Ligue 1. Earning a move to FC Köln in 2019, he kicked on in Germany, even scoring both goals in a legendary 2-1 away win over Borussia Dortmund. Later, he signed a four year deal with Eintracht Frankfurt and settled in quickly. His first goal for the club was a crucial one to qualify Frankfurt for the 2023-4 Conference League group phase. Important goals at the right time.
What’s his style of play?
He relies on his insane engine to get around the pitch and cover the defensive lines. A ball-winner aby nature, he can quickly distribute with high accuracy to get things moving on the turnover. More often than not he'll cover more than 13km in a single game, marking him out as statistically one of the hardest working midfielders out there.
His passing accuracy of >88% also underlines his ability to make use of the possession he wins back. In short, he's the kind of player who imposes himself on games and provides a huge boost to those around him that they're capable of arresting and reversing opposition momentum.
What do we think he’ll do at the tournament?
He's going to be Tunisia's most important "mentality monster". With his ability to lead by example by putting in unfathomably huge shifts, and his ability to win the ball back in critical moments, he's commands a huge amount of respect in the side. His ability to focus for 90m+ with very few lapses in concentration or passing accuracy suggest he's almost the perfect tournament box-to-box player.
His leadership style is described as "contagious". Vocal on the pitch and a real general ordering the troops even in high-pressure situations.
Armin Veh, former Sporting Director at Köln described him with perfectly pitched German understatedness as "a big, strong player who covers a lot of ground and has a great vision and passing game".
The Tournament Scout Prediction:
We think he's absolutely critical to Tunisia's chances of getting out of what is a difficult group on paper. If he can command the troops and put in his usual insane levels of effort and dedication, we could be looking at a perfect tournament player. The dividends will continue to pay later in the tournament if they can escape the group stage, with stamina, endurance and on-pitch encouragement becoming critical factors between victory and defeat.
Related articles:
7 min read
Ellyes Skhiri: Tunisia's Frankfurt Fire
He'll run for days.
Player Preview - Ellyes Skhiri
Features in Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia
"Tenacious", "dogged", with "an engine that runs for days": just a few of the ways Tunisia's Ellyes Skhiri has been described over the years by fans of Frankfurt and Tunisia alike. Skhiri, at 30, is entering his prime as a defensive midfielder with a supernatural ability to read the game that might end up being the "X factor" Tunisia need to compete in a challenging group.
Position: Defensive midfielder
Age: 30
Club: Eintracht Frankfurt
International caps: 81 senior caps (4 goals), 1 U23 cap
Who the heck is Ellyes Skhiri?
He's the glue that holds Tunisa together tactically. Not flashy, but extremely effective. With powerful commitment to the cause, he's a dream for international managers looking to quickly impose their game plans on the opposition. Despite not being recognized as an elite player, he's the kind of team player who could make a huge multiplying difference to the quality of Tunisia's performances.
What has he done so far?
Coming through at Montpellier's B team in 2014, he later imposed himself on the senior side, with a successful four year stint in Ligue 1. Earning a move to FC Köln in 2019, he kicked on in Germany, even scoring both goals in a legendary 2-1 away win over Borussia Dortmund. Later, he signed a four year deal with Eintracht Frankfurt and settled in quickly. His first goal for the club was a crucial one to qualify Frankfurt for the 2023-4 Conference League group phase. Important goals at the right time.
What’s his style of play?
He relies on his insane engine to get around the pitch and cover the defensive lines. A ball-winner aby nature, he can quickly distribute with high accuracy to get things moving on the turnover. More often than not he'll cover more than 13km in a single game, marking him out as statistically one of the hardest working midfielders out there.
His passing accuracy of >88% also underlines his ability to make use of the possession he wins back. In short, he's the kind of player who imposes himself on games and provides a huge boost to those around him that they're capable of arresting and reversing opposition momentum.
What do we think he’ll do at the tournament?
He's going to be Tunisia's most important "mentality monster". With his ability to lead by example by putting in unfathomably huge shifts, and his ability to win the ball back in critical moments, he's commands a huge amount of respect in the side. His ability to focus for 90m+ with very few lapses in concentration or passing accuracy suggest he's almost the perfect tournament box-to-box player.
His leadership style is described as "contagious". Vocal on the pitch and a real general ordering the troops even in high-pressure situations.
Armin Veh, former Sporting Director at Köln described him with perfectly pitched German understatedness as "a big, strong player who covers a lot of ground and has a great vision and passing game".
The Tournament Scout Prediction:
We think he's absolutely critical to Tunisia's chances of getting out of what is a difficult group on paper. If he can command the troops and put in his usual insane levels of effort and dedication, we could be looking at a perfect tournament player. The dividends will continue to pay later in the tournament if they can escape the group stage, with stamina, endurance and on-pitch encouragement becoming critical factors between victory and defeat.
Related articles:
7 min read