Hugo Larsson on Eintracht Frankfurt: “Eintracht has proven in recent years that it is a perfect club for the development of young players.” | OneFootball

“At 17, I played for the biggest team in Scandinavia – it was a dream come true. Of course, a lot changed because I was going to high school at the same time and still had a year and a half to go before I graduated. I basically lost my social life and had to try to manage everything somehow. It was a sports high school, so the people there knew how to deal with a situation like that. But it wasn’t all that easy. I had to do my school work at home and come to school for the tests. That wasn’t particularly fun. But my mother works as a school principal herself, so I had to do it (smiles) . And of course she helped me too. It was nice to graduate together with my school friends. But that was also unusual: the day after I graduated, I played in my last game for Malmö.”

“No, in football I knew that I could play at that level if I did my best. I was more afraid of living abroad alone for the first time. That made me a little nervous. But so far I’ve managed it well and have already made some friends. There are a lot of people in the club who look after the young players. That’s one of the reasons why so many talented players can perform so quickly at Eintracht.”

“Yes. I even bought furniture from him: two beds, a sofa, the dining table, almost everything…”

“It was always my goal to move from Sweden to the Bundesliga because it is a top league for young players and the intensity matches my profile. When Frankfurt called, I told my agents straight away that I didn’t want to go anywhere else. Eintracht has proven in recent years that it is a perfect club for the development of young players. Here you can present yourself on a big stage. It is great fun and I have the feeling that we can have a successful team every year.”

“The boring but true answer is: I develop every day – on and off the pitch. I was taught to be more aggressive, to be better and calmer on the ball. We also do a lot of individual work, personal development is taken very seriously here. I really appreciate that.”

“So far, about three or four kilos. I’ll never look like Leon Goretzka, but it’s a big goal to keep my body in shape so that I can play a whole season. I was injured twice last season, hopefully we can do it this year.”

“I want to get into position to score goals more often. That’s one of the things the analysts have pointed out to me. Things are going really well so far, but I don’t want to give a number on how many goals I want to score this year. That would create unnecessary pressure. Basically, I really like playing in this box-to-box role, where I can make an impact up front but also support the defensive line. I can also improve there by becoming more aggressive and sometimes positioning myself better.”

“I think so, if everything continues to go well. We have signed good players. But even the players who came a year ago – like me – feel even better this season. I’m probably speaking for ten other guys in the dressing room. Now we know the league and know what the coach wants. We not only have a great first eleven this season, but also a very strong squad overall. The rotation in the 7-2 win against Bochum showed that, among other things.”

“Definitely. Omar has probably already shown that, he is almost number one in the Bundesliga. They not only score a lot of goals, but also work hard for the team. Off the pitch, their positive attitude contributes to a good atmosphere, whether in the dressing room, in the gym or on the bus.”

View publisher imprint