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Less than three minutes into the Bundesliga opener against Union Berlin, the keeper was already picking the ball out of his net. The 24-year-old was not at fault: after a corner, Emmanuel Latte Lath headed home from point-blank range. It was a false start for Atubolu.
He did not have to wait long for a response. Younes Ebnoutalib flipped the game with a brace in the space of 51 seconds, in the 10th and 11th minutes, for the Eagles. The forward struck again after the break (67th). At the other end, Atubolu turned in a solid display and made several strong saves. He was again helpless for the second goal they conceded, when Leopold Querfeld (79th) headed in from another corner.
Then stoppage time brought another blow: Tim Skarke finished from close range to make it 3-3 (93rd), and once more the away keeper could do nothing about it.
Atubolu has had turbulent weeks in any case. In May, at the urging of his then advisers from Epic Sports, he lodged a transfer request with SC Freiburg and rejected a contract extension. His aim was a move to the Premier League this summer. The agency had apparently dangled the prospect of interest from several top clubs. Nothing came of it. Freiburg then responded by signing Mio Backhaus from Werder Bremen for €12 million.
Adi Hütter on Atubolu debut: "It probably will not all go perfectly"
Friday finally brought confirmation of Atubolu's one-year loan to Frankfurt. He therefore had little time to prepare for his debut. "It probably will not all go perfectly. On the other hand, Noah has a great deal of experience in the Bundesliga, was in the Europa League final not long ago and I think he will have a good game today," said Eintracht coach Adi Hütter before the match on Sky.
Frankfurt's goalkeeping situation had also escalated recently. Kaua Santos, who had repeatedly drawn attention with errors, was recently demoted to number two by Hütter. At the same time, reserve goalkeeper Michael Zetterer is said to be on the verge of a move to Leeds United.
Getty ImagesFor Hütter, Atubolu was the right answer: "The transfer window is not closed yet. We are still in a position to do something. It just happened that way, the door opened. Kaua made us doubt a little, especially in Brentford (Frankfurt lost a friendly there 0-7, editor's note). Then there was the opportunity to get Noah Atubolu. That is very important for us. He is a player who is on the fringes of the national team."
Even though Atubolu's loan initially runs only until next summer, the keeper could stay with Frankfurt beyond that. As Sky reports, an obligation to buy has been agreed. According to that, €13 million will be due to SC Freiburg next summer. According to kicker Eintracht will initially pay a €1 million loan fee, while the obligation to buy stands at €12.5 million. Performance-related bonus payments could take the total sum up to €16 million.