“I want to be successful with Eintracht” | OneFootball

Noel Aseko on the Eagles’ Bundesliga opener at Union Berlin, his role in midfield, and facing Paris Saint-Germain at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei.

Noel, you’ve completed two of the four days of training ahead of your Bundesliga opener. What have been the main areas of focus before your trip to Union Berlin?“We’re going to analyse our opponents in detail on Thursday and Friday. The first couple of days have been about getting up to speed. Those are usually the most intensive sessions, in which we focus primarily on our own game.”

Adi Hütter said last week that you’d made progress physically and that you’d established yourself in first-team training again. How do you assess the situation?“Since last week, I’ve been able to fully participate and give 100 percent in every drill, without feeling any negative effects from my workload.”

What kind of role does Adi Hütter have in mind for you?“I think a lot of things will become clear in the near future. As far as my role is concerned, I think I’ll end up playing as a box-to-box midfielder in the No.6 or No.8 position.”You’ve represented Germany at U17, U18, U20 and U21 level. Will you continue playing for Germany, or is Equatorial Guinea – your parents’ home country – also an option?“It’s no secret that the [Equatorial Guinean] federation has already been in touch with my father, but deciding which nation I’m going to represent is a distant concern. My priority is to keep establishing myself in Frankfurt, become a key part of the first team, prove myself in the Bundesliga and be successful with Eintracht. We can discuss other matters after that.”  

A Bundesliga debut in your home city of Berlin – does it almost sound too good to be true?“Well, it would certainly make a nice story, but I’m not going to lay claim to a starting spot just because of that. I already made my Bundesliga 2 debut in Berlin – for Hannover against my boyhood club Hertha BSC. Nobody can take that away from me.”

Have you experienced the Alte Försterei before too? “Not on the same scale as Saturday, but I have had a special experience there. In 2021, we took part in the Youngster Cup with Hertha Berlin. Sixty teams were involved – it was a huge tournament! The final was at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei and we beat Paris Saint-Germain.”  

Let’s hope for more of the same on Saturday! What kind of game are you expecting?“Union are known for their high-octane style of play. We want to go toe-to-toe with them and hold our own. The fans in Köpenick will certainly create a great atmosphere, but so will ours. We don’t need to worry about what happens in the stands. We want to play our part on the pitch.”