Eintracht secured the services of Igor Matanovic back in 2021. The striker had to be patient and work hard for three years to now have the chance to make his Bundesliga breakthrough in Frankfurt. The conditions could hardly be better.
14 goals in 32 second division games for KSC last season: Igor Matanovic (left). IMAGO/Eibner
When Eintracht announced the signing of Matanovic on August 30, 2021, they loaned the center forward back to his youth club FC St. Pauli for two years. “Igor is a very talented player who is technically adept and physically strong. He has great talent and a lot of potential,” said sporting director Markus Krösche at the time. Last summer, the 21-year-old made his mark in pre-season at Eintracht, but was ultimately loaned out to the 2nd division once again: to Karlsruher SC. A brilliant decision. At KSC, Matanovic blossomed with 14 goals and seven assists – and strongly recommended himself for the Bundesliga.
A month ago he said in a kicker interview: “This time I’m coming here with a completely different level of self-confidence, with a much broader chest. I’m now convinced that I can really help and become a part of the team. That was more difficult a year ago.” In fact, Matanovic has stood out in the training games so far, not only because of his 1.94 meter height, but above all because of his finishing ability and good ball control. It doesn’t seem as if he’s just joined.
“Huge step towards adult football”
He also radiated a healthy level of self-confidence at his presentation on Monday afternoon. “I’m extremely happy to be back. Unfortunately, I didn’t get as much playing time at St. Pauli as I expected. But in Karlsruhe I took a huge step towards adult football and played 32 games. That did me good. If you play for 90 minutes straight, that’s immensely important for young players. I really enjoyed that and appreciated it,” he said. After returning to the Main, his first priority was to “accept the level”, after all it was “another jump from the 2nd to the 1st Bundesliga”.
How quickly he will acclimatize to the upper echelons will only become clear during the season. However, the first impressions from the preparation make us confident that he could quickly make this step. “With my stature, I can bring a facet to the attack that Frankfurt hasn’t had recently. Eintracht has always benefited from guys like that, when I think of names like Sebastien Haller, Alex Meier or Bas Dost. I find that a great incentive,” he explained in the aforementioned kicker interview.
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The Balkan mentality and the role model Mandzukic
At his presentation he added: “I want to bring my physicality, power and also a bit of the Balkan mentality.” Eintracht had excellent experiences not so long ago with players like Luka Jovic, Ante Rebic, Mijat Gacinovic and Filip Kostic. But what exactly does Matanovic mean by Balkan mentality? “If you look at Croatia as an example – not at this European Championship, but at the World and European Championships before. They were definitely not favorites there, but they left their heart on the pitch. I will do the same for Eintracht, just like I did last season at KSC.”
Given these words, it is not surprising that he names Mario Mandzukic as a role model alongside all-rounder Zlatan Ibrahimovic. “Mandzukic left his heart on the pitch, always gave 120 percent for his team and his country,” remembers Matanovic. He now wears the jersey of the Croatian U-21 national team, after playing for the German junior national teams from the U17 to the U19.
In the end, it was a decision of the heart. Whenever there was a European Championship or World Cup, I always cheered for Croatia.
There will be no further move back to the DFB. The striker explains: “I have a lot to thank Germany for, I was born, grew up and went to school here. My parents were taken in here as refugees, Germany did a lot for us. But in the end it was a decision from the heart. When there was a European Championship or World Cup, I always cheered for Croatia.” Dual citizenship gave him the choice.
The born centre-forward – Toppmöller’s large selection
It remains to be seen how coach Dino Toppmöller will put the individual pieces of the puzzle together in the attack department. With Hugo Ekitiké, Omar Marmoush, Can Uzun, Krisztian Lisztes, Jean-Matteo Bahoya, Ansgar Knauff, Mario Götze, Fares Chaibi and Matanovic, a wide variety of player types are in the offense. A luxury problem for the coach. If Matanovic prevails as a wall striker, he could be flanked by Marmoush and Ekitiké in a 3-4-3 or 4-3-3, for example. “As a wall player, I often tie up the center backs and stay up front a lot. It’s good for me to have players like Hugo or Omar around me who pick up the ball and go one-on-one,” explains Matanovic.
The “drive to score” was “instilled in him from birth”. “It’s innate, I’ve never played in any other position than centre-forward,” says the attacker. He has a clear division of roles in mind: “The players around me should go one-on-one and outplay the opponent. I’m there in the box for the crosses, I can also assert myself in tight spaces, hold onto the ball or lay it off. That’s my job. I’ve developed a lot in that area, especially in the last year.” Now he thinks he’s ready for the Bundesliga and the dance at three weddings. The fans will be happy if a little more of the Balkan mentality, which has been sorely missed recently, returns to the Waldstadion.
2024-07-15 15:30:45
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