Barcelona, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Lyon, Manchester City - every single one of them was linked with Eintracht Frankfurt’s Laura Freigang this past summer. Hitting double figures in each of her five seasons with the club, for 65 goals in 104 league games, the reason why is no mystery. Yet, as GOAL sits down to talk to one of Germany’s most prolific scorers, Frankfurt is the location.
“I think it's like a feeling that you have. I didn't feel like leaving so I stayed. It's that simple, basically,” she laughs. “I just think I'm really happy here. The lifestyle of professional sports is to always look for something bigger, better, more. But I actually think it's something really great if you're really happy with something.”
When she puts it like that, it makes sense. After all, Freigang continues to live out her dreams here. Her form for Eintracht paved the way for her to represent her country, which she did for the first time in 2020. She’s since been to two major tournaments and is averaging a goal every other game for Germany.
It’s in Frankfurt that she has not only become a professional footballer but also an Under Armour athlete, the sports brand approaching her two-and-a-half years ago to strike up a partnership that has been “a great fit”, the type that “was never something” she could’ve imagined as a young girl who couldn’t even really grasp the idea of getting to play the sport she loves for a living.
On Wednesday, another milestone will be reached as Eintracht host European champions Barcelona in their first-ever Women’s Champions League group-stage campaign, one they kicked off last week with a 2-1 win over Rosengard in Sweden.
As one of those clubs linked with the 25-year-old over the summer, Barca will know all about the threat Freigang poses. They’ll be very aware, too, that while their hosts are huge underdogs, they are a dangerous proposition as a whole. Both are things that all of Germany has been aware of for a while now; now it’s time for Europe to find out.
