"Großes Privileg, andere Menschen kennenzulernen"

Kevin, thank you so much for joining us today. I really appreciate your time. As you can see here, we're joined by journalists from across the sports and the sport business world, from the US, from Canada, also from the UK and Europe. So we really appreciate your time. Thanks for having me here. It's fantastic. And I want to get straight into the kind of sport business aspect with you, if possible, and talk a little bit about, on the football side, the soccer side, let's start with, about how important it is for clubs like Eintracht to be abroad, internationally, reaching fans, and playing games abroad, and doing business abroad, not just in Europe. Obviously, success on the pitch in Europe, but also in countries like America. How important is that for a club like Eintracht? Well, the club has a huge interest in the US market. We have been there a lot of times in the preseason, especially in winter. I can tell already, I think I'm allowed to, that we're going to go in summer to the US again to have our preseason there. It's a very interesting market for us. We also have an office in New York. So we have an American sponsor with Indeed. So the interest is very high. And I think now, especially before the World Cup, 2026, the interest in the American people is also higher. In soccer now, as you call it, got to be careful not to say football. But I can feel that the interest is growing, and especially now for us, as the club, the interest is very high, too, to be represented in America. I can feel that the people are more interested in our club, too. And the German soccer, in general, with their passion and everything, I think that's something that the Americans really like. And that's what makes it, or the German soccer, so special, also. And before I hand it over to our media, I also want to talk about the other side, because footballers aren't just footballers now. They're entrepreneurs, businessmen, always looking at different angles. And that also has an international angle. Does that interest you particularly? Can you tell us a little bit about that from your side, your entrepreneurship, and how life is on the outside of football, as well? Yeah, I mean, the career is not forever. So at a certain time, you're going to think about what you're going to do after your career and everything. And we have the privilege to meet a lot of people doing our career, to get to know very interesting people, not only from soccer, football, but also from other businesses. And that's a huge privilege. And talking for myself, I'm trying to use that possibility we have to connect with other people, to get to know other businesses, to grow as a personality, but also to see what I might like besides football, because that's very interesting. And as I said, football career is not forever. So I've already started to figure out what I'm also interested in, to see what I would like to do after my career. And the connections we build, the connections we have, the people we meet, that also helps us to be able to start businesses or to think about other things. And that's a huge privilege we have doing our career. And I think everybody who's interested in business should use that privilege we have to be able to see what he likes besides football, besides his career as an athlete. And that's a huge privilege, a huge advantage for us that we have, obviously, doing our career. You can tell me when the mics are up where I need to be. Of course, I'll let you know. Perfect. Maybe we can open it up to the floor for a couple of questions. Does anybody want to get us going? Seb Stafford-Bleu, please. Thank you, Kevin. Thanks for taking the time to talk to us. I just wanted to know how goalkeeping has changed for you over the course of your career, like how your individual profession has evolved and how the style of goalkeeping has changed in world football. Well, it changed quite a lot. But the main focus is still to save the balls. But of course, the coaches ask more about the goalkeeper now. It starts to build up a game. Football became very modern. So you want to have more than just 10 players on the field. You need maybe the goalkeeper to be the 11th player. So he needs to be good with his feet, to anticipate, to be that one who gives the players a good feeling that they know there's someone behind them who can save them when it's needed. And talking about a very special person, a special goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer, who changed probably the way of goalkeeping style in the World Cup 2014, he took it to a whole other level. And since then, everybody tries to be or wants to be like Manuel, because he changed it a lot. And I think it's very interesting for us, because before it was only being on your line, saving balls. But now it became very, I don't want to say difficult, but complex, more complex. And the coaches and everybody is expecting more from the goalkeeper. So it quite changed a lot in the last few years. He talks very well, I understand. Can you learn to play like Manuel Neuer? If you grew up as a line goalkeeper and you would have been 24 in 2014, can you adapt? Or are you stuck with your style as a goalkeeper? No, I think you can. I mean, everybody is different. And Manuel is Manuel, that's for sure. But I think you definitely can learn it. It takes a lot of courage, of course. His way of playing is very risky, but it helps more often than it costs you a goal, for example. And you can definitely learn it. You just need to have courage to be also interested in open minor for it, because if you say, no, I'm pretty fine with the way I'm playing, then it's also OK. But if you want to improve or if you want to develop your style of playing, then I think you are definitely able to do it. You need the coach who supports you. You need the coach who also accepts that if there happens a mistake, that's OK. But that's the process you learn by doing mistakes. And that's definitely something you can learn. And of course, if you have whoever it is, and in any way, if you have a role model and it's something you admire, then there is definitely a way to learn it. At the end, it's not sure if you're at the same level. I mean, that's why Manuel was for such a long time the best goalkeeper in the world. But yeah, you can definitely try to learn his skills and to be that goalkeeper who can help your team, not just by saving balls, but also by playing football or anticipating a lot of things before they even happen. Yeah, Manuel, you guys have a new coach this year, you know, Top Mellon. First time he's the head coach of any club. What has he been like and how has it been different than what it was like under Glasner, who coached you through a very, very successful period? Yeah, I mean, Oli probably had his best time or the best time of his career here in Frankfurt, too, with the European League win and the Champions League here. But Dino, as you can see now, he's very ambitious, too. He wants us to play soccer. He wants us to play with confidence that everybody wants to have the ball, that everybody's also always supporting his teammate. And he loves to score goals, even though we had we struggled at the beginning of the season with that. But we were training a lot. We were always trying to improve. And in these situations, we tried to build up in the games. And I think now, especially in the last few weeks, you can definitely see that we improved a lot in this. We scored a lot of goals. I think the way we play now is also a way that the supporters like because there's a lot of possession. We play with confidence. Everybody wants to have the ball. And when I see the way we play, I think it makes a lot of people happy. And he's a very ambitious coach who always tries to get out the maximum of his players, and that's something that's helping us a lot. I hear you. It's OK. I'm just curious, because a lot was made of the fact that Kouloumouane left on deadline day, right? And when I watch Frankfurt play now, it almost feels like the team has gotten better every game, but it almost feels like there is still that missing piece up front. How much better could Frankfurt be if you have an actual number nine up there as well? Obviously, it was a difficult time for us because we lost not only Kouloumouane, we lost Kamara, we lost Souwe, we lost Kouloumouane, Lindstrom, who went to Napoli. So we lost almost every goal we scored last year, if I'm not wrong. And of course, in the beginning, that does something with you. That's normal, especially when you lose someone like Koulou, who was last season very, very important for us. And on top of that was the fact that we had new coaches. We had, I think, 60 new players in our team. So that needs time to adapt. That's that's more than normal. And this time we need it because you have the preparation and it takes time to to get this confidence. And this confidence you just get with with good results, with positive results. And in the beginning, we played against a team that was really difficult to play. We knew we didn't have the results we wanted to have. And of course, then you start thinking. But as I said, now, the last few weeks, after the win against against Heidenheim, I felt that we gained a lot of more confidence. And right now, we've got to be honest that I love the team we have. Of course, every player who comes and helps us, we are grateful for. But the way we play right now with the confidence we have, I'm pretty sure that we can have another big role in the championship this year. Do you understand players that move on from Frankfurt? I mean, you have done it yourself, right? You went from Frankfurt to PSG and then quickly came back. And I think it worked out really well for you, right? You won titles with Frankfurt. Do you understand why players like Kolomoani think the grass is maybe greener somewhere else? Well, if you take care of your grass in your own garden, then it is also green in your garden. I mean, of course, I can understand. We don't need to talk about Paris. They have the ambitions to win the Champions League. He's from there. He has his teammates from the French national team in Paris. So the reasons why he wanted to go there are obvious and I think it's somehow understandable. The way it happened was maybe not the best way, that's for sure. We always knew him as a good guy. He was never a bad teammate. But as I said, the way, especially in the last week of the transfer window, wasn't really amazing for everybody. It was not it was not a good time for him because he didn't know what's going to what's going to happen. We didn't know if he lose a strike or not. So it was for everybody kind of difficult to pass these weeks. And then there was a lot of stories about him, even afterwards he left. And that was a big noise around the surroundings or around him, even with the fans, with everybody, with the media. But I think we passed this situation and now we have no players in the team. They're really happy to play here. But Frankfurt is always, or players from Frankfurt are always interested, interesting. If you play season like the last few years, we won the European League. We won, we played last year Champions League. And we always had the situation with, for example, Philip Kostic, who left Juventus. So it's kind of normal and we are used to. But yeah, I'm with you that last season was still special because it was many players that left. Yeah, Stefan on behalf of AFP. Yeah, a quick jump to the other kind of football. Do you have an NFL team? And why do you think is the NFL so popular here in Germany? Well, I don't have a particular NFL team. I was no, I had the possibility now when we were the national team in America to meet a few players from the Patriots. Obviously, Tom Brady, the probably the best, best player ever. You know, so I followed a bit. I start to understand the rules that I didn't really know weeks ago. But I'm very happy that we have the possibility to welcome the teams here. I think it's for the city, for everybody. It's a great, great situation. I'm pretty sure that the players are going to like the stadium. They're going to like the crowd. It's very passionate here around Frankfurt. And of course, it's getting more and more popular. As I said, soccer is growing in America. The NFL is growing in Germany, in Europe. We had to play games in London. No, we had it last year in Munich. Now we have two huge games here in Frankfurt. We are very proud to welcome them here, to show them the city, to show them how it is to be in Frankfurt and to play in the stadium. I think they're really going to be amazed even by the infrastructure, by the facilities we have here. And I hope that we can continue welcoming the teams here in Germany or in Europe and that the interest is even more growing. Do you think there's much, just to jump on that, much similarity between the way you train and between the way the NFL players train? Is there much crossover? I think it depends on the position. I had a very nice conversation with Mick Jones from the Patriots. And there are a few things that are very different. There are a few things that are similar. What we don't have, for example, is five hours in the cinema to analyse the other teams, to see what they do. But that's something that I really appreciate, that I really found it very interesting that they have this, how do I say, possibility to sit there for five hours and just to watch videos and to remember everything the opponent is doing and to be able to work out, play games, to play the team. And you have to take care of or to be aware of every single detail. And that's something very interesting. It was very interesting to talk about. But of course, physically, I think especially a few players out there on the pitch, they are very, very much stronger than we are. And there are some similarities, but it's still a different game. Alan Bay. Gameplay, was it? No, play game, sorry. Gameplay. Hi, Kevin. It's my first time here. Could you give me an idea of what makes this football club special? And also, I imagine you experienced a very different culture at PSG. So how is it different here? And also, have you seen it transform over the years? Because it's a long time ago when you first came here. Frankfurt is a very emotional club with their fans. I don't know if you followed two years ago our European journey, but I don't think it's normal to have, for example, in Barcelona and in a away game, 30,000 supporters. That's something that I never saw that actually never happened before. And something that made a huge noise around the world, even. And the fans we have here, they're very emotional. And I saw when I still wasn't here in 2009 and 10, I think, or 10, 11, there was a time that the club wasn't that successful. And of course, it also can go in a different way with these emotions. But they're very supportive. I mean, every game we have here at home is full. The stadium is sold out every time, every single time. It doesn't matter against who it is. When we play away, especially in Europe, they're traveling no matter where it is, no matter how difficult it is to get to the stadium. So it's a very passionate club, very emotional fans here. And that's something that makes that club so special. Even though new players coming here, they feel straight away at home. That's the culture we try to keep here in the team, in the club, that everybody still can feel home very, very fast, because that's something that's very important if you come from abroad to feel comfortable in a new surrounding. And that's what we always try to keep here as an identity. And together with this stadium, with the fans, I mean, now we have even more, I think, almost 10,000 more supporters in the stadium. So that's kind of very special. And that's what makes the German soccer, German football so special, because it's almost everywhere that you have these passionate supporters everywhere, and they try to support their team. I played in France. That's the only country I played besides Germany. It's a bit different. Not bad, but it's different. But the way I see the German stadiums, the German fans, it's I think it's unique. Sorry to interrupt again, but can you take us back to that night in Barcelona as a player? I mean, for us as fans, it was the biggest pleasure. Yeah. Yeah. We were seeing those pictures of the Frankfurt fans taking over, and it was unbelievable. Did you get much of a feeling of that, you know, pre-match? And then obviously when you step out onto the pitch, did you know that something special was happening, or was it just afterwards that you really realised that? Well, to be honest, I knew it was probably the biggest game in history of that club because it's an official game against Barcelona. In the history of Barcelona to play André. Also, yeah. I mean, they won't forget that game too, I guess. But we knew it's going to be something special to play Barcelona in an official game. That's something that I guess probably never happened. And I just heard and read an historical game everywhere. But when we kept the chance after the draw we had here at home, when we knew we can win against Barcelona, we can reach the quarterfinals, semifinals, sorry, by beating Barcelona, we knew we had to do it in Camp Nou. Something very, very special, incredible and probably something that out of, let's say, ten games, eight times you won't win against them. But we just had this feeling that we are able to do it. And we knew that we're going to have the supporters in Barcelona, but we didn't know that there were so many. When we went from the hotel to the stadium, we just saw people with white jerseys. The streets were full. We almost couldn't pass the streets to go to the stadium. So I didn't really see any supporters of Barcelona. It was only Frankfurt. And then when I came, when I stepped on the pitch, for the warm-up, it was like I really thought I was in Frankfurt because it was just Frankfurt fans there. And then they booed the Barcelona players when they came out in their own home stadium. So that's something you never saw. And I'm pretty sure that without that feeling we had there, without the supporters we had there, knowing there was almost 30,000, I'm sure we wouldn't have passed that game without them. Yeah, Manu and then Adam. Taking back to NFL, you mentioned that soccer is growing there. Football is growing here. Is that almost like a perfect synergy between the two sports? Because you can be a fan of the NFL and still be a fan of Bundesliga. The two things don't seem to really clash, but rather work together. Is that the impression that you get as well? Yeah, 100 percent. I mean, in the culture in Germany, it's probably only about soccer. And in the States, you have the NBA, you have NFL, you have baseball. So we have many other different sports to support there or to be able to watch. Here in Europe, or especially in Germany, we see the NFL just in the TV. So it's almost impossible to see a live game. So I guess that's why everybody's really glad, happy and anxious about the games we have here, because it's not that often that you can see a live NFL game in Europe. And as I said, the city of Frankfurt, we as a club to host the game here. We are really proud to do that and to welcome probably not only German German fans or European fans from the NFL, but also probably fans from America. They're going to travel here to see the culture in Germany, to see how it is to play in an official soccer stadium, to play a football game there. And I think it's a really good thing to be able to to bring the NFL to Europe, to Germany. We hope that we're going to have it more often here in Frankfurt, because I guess the location is perfect. You have right away the airport here. Nobody needs to travel that far to get to the stadium. So the location and all the facilities, the infrastructure is just perfect to host the game here. And I would be glad if we can see more games of the NFL here and we don't need to travel to the US to do it. But of course, it's special to watch an NFL game in the US. But I'm pretty sure it's going to be very special to see something that's not happening that often. Also, to see a game here. And I think that's going to make it even more special. Obviously, as a goalkeeper, you have a good kick. Would you ever consider going over to the NFL and try yourself as a kicker? Well, we did a few things there when we were in the Parisian Stadium. I tried to do a lot of a lot of things. I was really impressed by how far they can throw this ball. Obviously, as a goalkeeper, you need to throw a ball, too. But they really can throw it fast and far. To kick a ball, I think I would be able, but it's still so much respect for the players that do that, because I can tell you how it is. Everything goes so fast on the pitch. From the outside, it always looks easy and everybody knows. Everybody's a coach. Everybody knows where to play the ball, how to do it. But let me tell you, when you're on the pitch, it's much more difficult, especially when it's that fast on that on that level. Just I just have a lot of respect for these players, especially for the quarterbacks to take this this fast decisions, because everything more or less depends on you. The players around him needs to defend him or to attack. And just to remember all of these game places is such such an incredible thing for me that they have to be so intelligent and remember everything in that sections of seconds. That is very impressive. And I would love to try it one day to see if I would be able to. But I'm pretty I'm also pretty happy with the career I have right now and I try to play as long as possible. So that's not part of the entrepreneurship program just yet. Exactly. Fair enough. Adam, you had another one. Yeah, I apologize for asking a very similar question to Seb, but I'd just love to hear a bit more about Manuel Neuer, because we're on this trip to Dortmund to Bayern at the weekend. I'm going to see him play. So I just want to be clear. Do you feel that you are a different goalkeeper now because of the influence of him at an early stage in your career? Do you think he's changed goalkeeping and goalkeepers like you? Probably, yes, because I grew up more or less. Well, I knew Oliver Kahn when I when I was very young. So you had Oliver in Germany, Oliver Kahn, Jens Lehmann, their way of playing or of interpreting the goalkeeping. But I think since, especially after the World Cup, I think many goalkeepers or even many young kids wanted to be a goalkeeper because of Manuel. And before, you always wanted to be a striker to score goals. And that's something I think that's talking for itself. And I think there you could see what else goalkeepers are capable of, how to help the team, not just by saving the balls, what is still the most important thing. But as I said, you are able to to clear things before they even happen. If you are good at anticipating, if you if you help the team by crosses, if you go with your feats, if, of course, on the line you need to be a very good goalkeeper. But there are these little and small details that can make the difference between world class and, let's say, a normal goalkeeper. And this is something I really try to work on every day to to see what all these goalkeepers on the highest level are doing. So that's something you really always can work on. And I'm pretty sure that not only for me, but for a lot of goalkeepers that came in that generation, that Manuel was their role model, 100 percent. Kevin, the save you made at the end of the Europe League final, is that your favorite? You're correct. I'd say probably one of the most important ones because it was in the final. I had a game a few months before against Munich in Munich. There was one save that I that I really liked to against Lewandowski. And there was a game that changed also the season for me. But the other save in the in the one, what was it? 1-1-8, I think, was probably one of the most important ones, I guess. And one of the saves that I that I will remember, yeah. When that's happened and then you go into a penalty shootout afterwards, do you relax as a goalkeeper? Are you aware of your responsibilities? You've been coached about player tendencies and which direction I was going to go to. Do you feel nervous in that situation? I was, to be honest, I was really nervous all day long because you had so much time to think about whatever happened is going to be what happens tomorrow, if you're there with the cup or not, if you celebrate with the fans or not. But once the referee started the game, then everything left. I forgot about that. And I had that feeling even when the Rangers scored the goal. I didn't have the feeling that the hats went down. I had more of a feeling that we were able to come back, that we were able to score and to win this goal because we gained so much confidence during this journey that we knew that is our time. We had two years or three years before we had the semifinal against Chelsea. And I think the players who lived that, they also knew that now being in the final or passing semifinal, being in the final and the European final, now it has to be our time. And the way we played with that confidence, it made me be confident that we are able to win this game. And I knew that when we passed this situation and I saw the players investing so much to be able to defend this goal, to be able to go to the penalty shooter because it was hot there that day. It was very difficult to play. But seeing everybody investing so much in this game, I knew it's going to be our time. And for some reason, I had a very, very good feeling in that penalty shootout. I knew because I saw, first of all, I saw the players shooting here. But you can't, it's not, it's not at all the same in the final or shooting here in the training ground, training facilities. But I knew that we have very good shooters there. And I knew we're going to we're going to score the goals. And it's just about me to save at least one penalty to be able to win the cup. And, well, I was glad I did that. And the penalties we shot, they were just, you couldn't shoot them better. So I guess at the end, it was a very well-deserved cup winning for us. And it was a very special, very special day this day, because to win a cup with this club is worth a lot. Kevin, thank you so much for taking us down memory lane for one. I think you're welcome. Enjoyable for a lot of people here. But thank you for your time. Thank you for chatting to us. Good luck for the rest of the season. Thank you. Yeah. And we hopefully we'll see you again soon. I hope to see you soon again. Thank you. Bye bye. Enjoy. Bye.