Kevin Diks

Kevin Diks

Diks with Copenhagen during training in 2022
Personal information
Full name	Kevin Diks Bakarbessy
Date of birth	(1996-10-06) 6 October 1996 (age 28)[1]
Place of birth	Apeldoorn, Netherlands
Height	1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s)	Defender[2]
Team information
Current team	Copenhagen
Number	2
Youth career
2002–2004	VIOS Vaassen
2004–2005	AGOVV
2005–2014	Vitesse
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2014–2016	Vitesse II	11	(1)
2014–2016	Vitesse	56	(2)
2016–2021	Fiorentina	2	(0)
2017	→ Vitesse (loan)	11	(0)
2017	→ Vitesse II (loan)	1	(0)
2017–2018	→ Feyenoord (loan)	23	(0)
2019	→ Empoli (loan)	0	(0)
2019–2021	→ AGF (loan)	44	(8)
2021–	Copenhagen	98	(11)
International career‡
2014–2015	Netherlands U19	4	(0)
2015	Netherlands U20	5	(0)
2016–2018	Netherlands U21	7	(0)
2024–	Indonesia	1	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 7 December 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 15 November 2024

Kevin Diks Bakarbessy (born 6 October 1996) is a professional footballer who plays as a defender for Danish Superliga club Copenhagen. He is set to play for Bundesliga club Borussia Mönchengladbach starting in the 2025–26 Bundesliga season.^[3] Born in the Netherlands, he represents the Indonesia national team.

Born in Apeldoorn, Diks joined Vitesse's youth setup in 2005, aged nine, after playing for VIOS Vaassen and hometown's AGOVV Apeldoorn. In the 2014 summer he was called to the main squad for the pre-season, also appearing in a 1–3 defeat against Chelsea.^[4] On 24 August 2014, after profiting from first-choice Wallace's injury, Diks made his first-team – and Eredivisie – debut, starting in a 1–2 away loss against PEC Zwolle.^[5] On 8 January of the following year, after being already a permanent part of the main squad, he renewed his link until 2018.^[6]

On 6 July 2016, Diks joined Serie A side Fiorentina on a five-year deal after impressing at Vitesse.^[7] He later requested number 34 shirt in tribute to Abdelhak Nouri, who collapsed and suffered brain damage, ending his career.^[8]

On 23 October 2016, three months after signing for the Italian side, Diks finally made his long-awaited debut in a 5–3 away victory against Cagliari, replacing Cristian Tello in the 88th minute.^[9]

On 31 January 2017, Diks returned to Vitesse on loan for the remainder of the 2016–17 campaign, after failing to make his breakthrough whilst in Italy.^[10] On 11 February 2017, Diks made his Vitesse return in their 2–0 home defeat against Willem II, playing the full 90 minutes.^[11] On 5 April 2017, Diks got sent off for a second bookable offence during Vitesse's 1–0 away victory against Heracles Almelo.^[12]

He came off the bench as Vitesse won the final of the KNVB Beker 2–0 against AZ Alkmaar on 30 April 2017 to help the club, three-time runners up, to the title for the first time in its 125-year history.^[13][14]

On 4 July 2017, Diks joined Feyenoord on a season-long loan.^[15]

On 22 April 2018, he played as Feyenoord won the 2017–18 KNVB Cup final 3–0 against AZ Alkmaar.^[16][17]

On 31 January 2019, Diks joined Serie A side Empoli on loan until 30 June 2019.^[18]

On transfer deadline day, 2 September 2019, Diks was loaned out to Danish Superliga club AGF for the 2019–20 season.^[19] On 31 August 2020, the loan was renewed for the 2020–21 season.^[20]

On 5 July 2021, Diks returned to Denmark, signing a four-year deal with Copenhagen.^[21]

He won the Danish championship with the club, and also reached the Round of 16 in the new UEFA Europa Conference League with the club, where they were eliminated by PSV Eindhoven. In 2023, Diks won the double as the defended champion and the Danish Cup with the team. Thus the club reached the group stage in the Champions League season, where they faced Borussia Dortmund, FC Sevilla and Manchester City, with the latter also winning the competition later in the tournament.

In the following season, the club was able to reach the Round of 16 of Champions League after finishing second in a group with FC Bayern Munich, Galatasaray Istanbul and Manchester United - including a point in the Munich Allianz Arena and a 4–3 home win against Manchester United - and were again eliminated there by the "Citizens". In his third year in Copenhagen, Diks was an integral part of the defense, playing as a left full-back or as a center-back. However, the title defense was not successful either in the league or in the Danish Cup.

On 1 July 2025, Diks will move to German Bundesliga club Borussia Mönchengladbach on a five-year contract.^[22]

On 9 October 2014, Diks made his Netherlands U19 debut in a 7–0 victory against Andorra U19, playing the first half before being replaced by Leeroy Owusu. Diks went on to make three more appearances before receiving a call-up to the under-20 squad. He has also represented at under-21 squad. In 2018, Diks was called up to the Netherlands senior team for a training camp, but did not play any matches for the senior team.^{[citation needed]}

In October 2024, Diks confirmed that he had decided to represent Indonesia at international level.^[23] The same year on 15 November, Diks debuted in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Japan, but came off as a substitute after 41 minutes due to injury, as the latter defeated Indonesia 4–0.^[24]

Diks was born in Apeldoorn and has a brother, Jamarro Diks, who was also a footballer.^[25] Diks is of Indonesian descent through his Moluccan mother.^[26]

On 8 November 2024, Diks officially obtained Indonesian citizenship.^[27]

As of match played 19 December 2024^[28]

As of match played 15 November 2024

Vitesse

• KNVB Cup: 2016–17^[13][14]

Feyenoord

• KNVB Cup: 2017–18^[16]
• Johan Cruijff Shield: 2017^[29]

Copenhagen

• Danish Superliga: 2021–22, 2022–23
• Danish Cup: 2022–23^[30]

Individual

• Superliga Team of the Month: August 2023^[31]

• List of Indonesia international footballers born outside Indonesia

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kevin Diks.

• Profile at the F.C. Copenhagen website
• Kevin Diks at National-Football-Teams.com
• Kevin Diks at Soccerway
• Kevin Diks – UEFA competition record (archive)