Eintracht Frankfurt brings Stefan Ilsanker: dream player at a bargain price

• ofIngo Durstewitz

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Stefan Ilsanker joins Eintracht Frankfurt at the last minute. A sensible transfer – and a spicy one. Dejan Joveljic is meanwhile awarded.

The hanging game is over after a tough tug of war and many rounds of negotiations Eintracht Frankfurt but can still sign the dream player: less than two and a half hours before the end of the changeover period on Friday at 6 p.m., the Hessian Bundesliga club gave the midfielder an obligation Stefan Ilsanker of RB Leipzig known. The 30-year-old receives a contract until 2022, the transfer fee is very moderate because the Austrian’s contract would have expired in the summer anyway. It is less than a million euros. A bargain.

Stefan Ilsanker: Only six Bundesliga appearances for Leipzig

The midfielder has lost his place in Leipzig, only has six Bundesliga games, the national player was not even registered for the Champions League. In order not to endanger the participation in the European Championship, the 1.90 meter man urged a change. Eintracht has a need for the position because Lucas Torro and Gelson Fernandes are out for a long time. Ilsanker is something of an RB corporate player, before his 131 games for Leipzig (only one goal) he also played 130 professional games for RB Salzburg.

Eintracht coach Adi Hütter knows Ilsanker well

There he also met today’s Eintracht coach Adi Hütter, who campaigned for a transfer of his former protégé. They even played together there, in the second team, Ilsanker as a young man, 16, 17 years old, Hütter at the end of his career. “Since then I’ve been looking up to him,” says the newcomer on the club’s own TV. “He is a sensationally good coach who demands a lot from his players.” Together they brought the double to Salzburg in 2015 – also on board: today’s Frankfurt crowd favorite Martin Hinteregger. “Hinti is a good friend of mine. It will make the familiarization phase easier for me. If I hit anything like him, nothing can go wrong. ”

Sports director Fredi Bobic commented: “With Ilsanker we have been able to win an experienced and seasoned Bundesliga player. Above all, he is a player who can help the team immediately and gives us more flexibility. “

Piquancy on the edge: It was Ilsanker who attacked the Frankfurt fans sharply after their protest against Monday games and throwing tennis balls onto the field: “It is completely unnecessary for the fans – although they are actually not really fans in my eyes – that throw these idiots balls and objects onto the field, ”he snapped at that time, it was about two years ago. There are certainly statements that make a debut easier. Now the player says: “Unbelievable what was put together here. Especially on an international level. There is no other team that knows so many away fans internationally. The atmosphere in the stadium is great. ”The whole project is“ just awesome. I really wanted to be part of it. ”Curious: Already on Tuesday he will meet his old club Leipzig in the DFB Cup eight final with his new club, Eintracht.

Dejan Joveljic to Belgium

Meanwhile, Eintracht has also given up a player: Dejan Joveljic joins RSC Anderlecht on loan until the end of the season. The Belgian record champions play a disappointing season and are in ninth place in the table. The Serbian U-21 international had switched from Red Star Belgrade to the Main for five million euros before this round and was hastily traded as the successor to compatriot Luka Jovic, who had moved to Real Madrid. Footsteps that are (still) too big. The new league turned out to be one size too big. In the past 16 matches, it was only enough for two short appearances – after all, the 20-year-old scored in his first game, scoring the winning goal in Flora Tallinn’s 2-1 win in the Europa League qualification.

The short playing time is not good for the development of a young professional, which is why a loan makes sense. “I like the boy very much,” says Hütter, “but it’s all about collecting game practice.”

Eintracht hopes that the attacker will improve, Belgium is considered a good place. The Brazilian defender Tuta awarded to KV Kortrijk has fought for a regular place after initial problems. And Daichi Kamada came back as a better player after completing his apprenticeship at St. Truiden.

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