With Eintracht Frankfurt good acquaintances travel to Jetro Willems on Sunday. But bitter memories also come up.
Jetro Willems had known his captain in Fürth for a long time before the Dutchman signed on in Fürth. “I already played with Branimir Hrgota in Frankfurt “, recalls the left-back, who was under contract with Eintracht for a total of four years until this summer. With ups and downs.
After 23 appearances and the cup victory under coach Niko Kovac in the first year, a second year followed under coach Adi Hütter, in which the left-back played less and less and mostly only from the bench. So Willems was loaned out to Newcastle in the Premier League in the summer of 2019. Things went much better again for the former Netherlands international in England before a cruciate ligament rupture set him back in January 2020 and brought his adventure on the island to an abrupt end.
“I would be stupid to talk about Hütter now “
Back in Frankfurt, Willems struggled to make a speedy comeback. He was fit again as early as October, but it was not until this January that he reappeared in Frankfurt’s matchday squad. He even made 13 appearances in the second half of the season, but Hütter did not allow Willems to play a single minute. His contract with Eintracht expired in June.
“Everyone knows that if you’re not fit enough, you won’t sit on the bench,” Willems emphasised when he arrived in Fürth. He preferred not to talk about former coach Hütter, who is now in Gladbach. “It would be a bit stupid if I talked about him now. I’m at Fürth now, he’s also at another club by now, so there’s no point talking about the past.” Ticked off. Instead, he is looking forward to the duels with both clubs, Frankfurt as well as Gladbach. “It won’t be a revenge, I don’t think so,” Willems assures, “I’m just looking forward to playing against former colleagues. “
And to continue to fight valiantly for the first win of the season with the promoted team. Hard enough given the unpleasant conditions that the Spielvereinigung, which is extremely short-staffed, currently has to cope with. Even though Willems has not yet been able to match his former top performances, the 27-year-old has already been in the starting eleven for Fürth seven times and is now even more of an important constant for coach Stefan Leitl as colleagues around him are falling away due to injuries and Corona infections. “I want to play regularly again and reach my old level again,” said Willems, who has signed until 2023, starting the Fürth chapter, “I want to show everyone that I’m back and I’m back.” Just Eintracht Frankfurt.
