Eintracht Frankfurt’s Niko Iličević stood in front of the fan block with a broad grin after joining Youssoufa Moukoko as the youngest-ever Bundesliga player, but at 16 years and one day, he wasn’t allowed to give interviews after the 3-1 win against Hamburg.
“We have a special responsibility, and we will fulfil it. For now, we will not allow any interviews or feature stories,” Frankfurt CEO Axel Hellmann said.
Coach Adi Hütter added: “We’ve made history as a club, but now we need to make sure we look out for the young player. We’ll handle him with care.”
Frankfurt brought Iličević, the nephew of former Croatia international Ivo Iličević, off the bench for his debut on Sunday just a day after his 16th birthday. But since he couldn’t speak about the historic mark, his team-mates spoke for him.
“It’s really wonderful that he’s so good at 16 and so mature. When he came on, he immediately brought energy to the game and almost scored another goal,” Younes Ebnoutalib said.
Hütter also praised his player: “What he showed in those five or six minutes was truly breathtaking and more than anyone could have expected. We have fun and enjoy ourselves with him every day.”
Iličevićis considered one of the greatest football talents in Germany. Since 2018, has been playing for Frankfurt, who now want to take their time polishing this rough diamond into a gem.
“We’re not doing a 16-year-old any favours by hyping him up too much; instead, we want to develop him step by step,” Hellmann said.
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