Ex-star back in Frankfurt: Comeback with substance or just a reunion party? | OneFootball

On Wednesday, Eintracht Frankfurt will play their last match of this Champions League season. The already eliminated Eagles will host Europa League winners Tottenham Hotspur and hope to give their fans one final, conciliatory night under the floodlights.

For the Spurs, on the other hand, a lot is at stake. Sitting fifth in the table, the North Londoners have an excellent chance of qualifying directly for the round of 16. An away win on the Main would make things clear in this regard.

Tottenham certainly won't be lacking motivation. For one player, though, this is truer than for anyone else. Nearly two and a half years after leaving SGE, Randal Kolo Muani returns to Frankfurt—back to the place where he once made his big international breakthrough. The Frenchman experienced by far the best year of his career in Frankfurt, regularly delighting the Hessian fans. This is evidenced not least by his incredible tally of 23 goals and 17 assists in 46 competitive matches across all competitions.

📸 Christian Kaspar-Bartke - 2023 Getty Images

Kolo Muani brought a windfall to SGE

On September 1, 2023, the partnership between Kolo Muani and Eintracht ended on a sour note. Before the second leg of the Conference League qualification against Lewski Sofia, he announced his desire to transfer to French champions Paris Saint-Germain and went on strike, skipping the final training session. As a result, he was dropped from the squad for the match.

On deadline day, the striker’s dreams came true when he was transferred to the French capital for a hefty €95 million, bringing record revenue to Eintracht. So, one season with Kolo Muani not only brought SGE numerous sporting highlights but also a financial boost of unprecedented scale.

However, he has not been as happy since leaving the banking metropolis. After one and a half moderately successful years at PSG, he joined Juventus in January 2025. The Old Lady signed the dynamic attacker on loan until the end of the season. Despite good performances and an impressive goal tally, Juve and PSG could not agree on a permanent transfer. So, last summer, Kolo Muani moved to Spurs—again on loan.

Two different faces at Tottenham

The 27-year-old has yet to truly settle on the island. He has started eleven times in the Premier League, but is still searching for his first goal. The team's interim report card is also somewhat sobering: the ambitious Spurs currently find themselves in a disappointing 14th place in the Premier League.

Things are going better in the Champions League. Tottenham have picked up an impressive 14 points from seven matches and can secure a direct ticket to the round of 16 with a win. Kolo Muani is also performing much better on Europe’s biggest club stage than in the league. With two goals and two assists, he has played a major role in the North Londoners’ excellent position.

Now, in his former home stadium, the attacking star wants to crown his team’s strong Champions League phase. It will be interesting to see whether there will be a big reunion with the SGE fans. On the one hand, the supporters were very upset about his last-minute, strike-induced move to PSG. On the other hand, time heals all wounds in football. Many supporters will be reminded of the great performances Kolo Muani once produced for their club on the pitch at Deutsche Bank Park.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

📸 DANIEL ROLAND - AFP or licensors