“Always there for each other, never against each other” | OneFootball

Noah Atubolu reflects on a whirlwind few days with his transfer, first training session and Eintracht debut. The goalkeeper also reveals how impressed he is with his new club and Deutsche Bank Park.

Noah Atubolu on …

… the first two days after his move to Eintracht: “Everything happened incredibly quickly. I packed my bags and headed straight to Frankfurt. [Then there were] medical checks, the contract signing, a one-on-one training session with goalkeeping coach Jan Zimmerman, my first training session and getting to know the boys. Then it was off to Berlin, where I was named in the starting XI. It’s a shame we didn’t win, but it’s still been fun so far. We have a really great bunch of lads.”

… settling in: “It looked like the move was happening a couple of days before I signed, so I tried to familiarise myself with the team beforehand as best I could. That made things a little easier. Generally speaking, we’re quite a new team and want to get to know each other better.”

… Eintracht Frankfurt: “I’m happy to be here because I’m playing for a brilliant club that I really like. I see Eintracht’s performance last season as an anomaly. Looking back over the years, Eintracht have been very successful and one of the biggest clubs in Germany in terms of membership.” 

… the goalkeeping team: “Kaua Santos is a good lad. I like him – he’s given me a very warm welcome. The same goes for Jens Grahl and Amil Siljevic. Everyone wants to support each other. Those dynamics were important to me before I joined. It’s all gone well so far.”

… his role: “At 24, I’m the fifth or sixth-oldest player in the squad. I do believe that my role here is different and that I can take on more responsibility, which is part and parcel of being a goalkeeper anyway. I’ve learnt a lot over the past few years, having played in big games in the Bundesliga and the Europa League. I want to pass that on to the other lads, and help and support them wherever I can. One thing is particularly important to me: that we’re always there for each other, and never against each other. That’s the case here and I want it to stay that way in the long term.” 

… his first outing in Berlin: “Of course, drawing 3-3 after being 3-1 up doesn’t look that great on paper, but scoring three goals is just as much a sign of quality as turning a 1-0 deficit at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei into a 2-1 lead in such a short space of time. That shouldn’t be taken for granted.” 

… his first home game against Augsburg: “I’m really looking forward to it. I always enjoyed playing in Frankfurt as an opposition player because they were always real battles. The stadium’s enormous – one of the biggest in Germany – so I’m delighted to be walking out here for the first time with the eagle on my chest.”