He is in a hurry.

Actually, Rafael Santos Borré could have let his mind wander for another seven days.

Every Eintracht professional is allowed to take three weeks of summer vacation (at least).

And the 25-year-old was with the Colombian national team at the South American Championship until July 10th.

But instead of enjoying the holiday feeling a bit, the striker prefers to prepare for his work assignment now, which will take him to Europe for the second time, now to Frankfurt.

Marc Heinrich

Sports editor.

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In June, Eintracht secured the services of the attacker, who was most recently under contract with River Plate Buenos Aires. On Friday afternoon, the seventh entry, which joined the Bundesliga team of head coach Oliver Glasner, who is also new to the Main, was officially presented in the future jersey with the black eagle on the chest. Borré should soon ensure the pace on the pitch once the mandatory performance checks have been completed.

The successor to André Silva, who moved to the Champions League club RB Leipzig, is a different type of striker than the Portuguese.

What distinguishes him from the previous goal getter of the Hessen: Borré is much more nimble.

He weighs just 70 kilograms and is therefore a similar lightweight to the Dane Jesper Lindström, whom the Frankfurters also hired to reinforce their offensive.

Help from James and Cordoba

"Hello, I'm happy to be here," was his welcoming statement in front of the cameras. He spoke it in German before having his remarks translated by the club interpreter Stéphane Gödde. Among other things, he said that he had decided to become involved with Eintracht because he was won over by the “human quality” in the discussions with his negotiating partners. Ben Manga, the sports director, and Markus Krösche, the sports director, would have tried "intensely" for him and thus outpaced the competitors who were also interested in his (free transfer) obligation.

From his compatriots James Rodríguez, who was employed by FC Bayern from 2017 to 2019, and Jhon Córdoba, who is now moving from Hertha BSC to FK Krasnodar (and who played at Mainz 05 and 1. FC Köln from 2015 to 2020), he had obtained information about the previously unknown country, its people and, of course, the football business.

What his colleagues had to tell him made his decision to take “the next step” in his career mature.

His partner, their daughter, their sister-in-law, the nanny and the advisor arrived with him, who waited in the background of the stadium box during the press conference with which the Frankfurters announced his arrival - but did not leave the room empty-handed.

Among other things, they were given a baby romper suit in Eintracht style for the offspring, while dad, who had answered questions about himself in front of the microphones in a chic black shirt and casual jeans with holes in it, wore his future dress with the back number 19 (the before Captain David Abraham, who returned to Argentina voluntarily, was given).

“It was nice to have a few days with the family after the Copa America.

But I'm a player who likes to work on myself.

I've kept myself fit and I'm really looking forward to starting here, ”said Borré.

"I'm hot for it"

The fact that he did not find happiness in 2016 when he left home for the first time, first at Atlético Madrid and then at FC Villareal, was not seen as a bad omen, but as an experience that allowed him to mature. He was "very young" at the time. In order to assert himself right away, he still lacked physical robustness and playful understanding after his turbo career start at Deportivo Cali (20 goals in 46 games). But now he has "developed" at River Plate (56 goals in 149 games), so that he will come back with a "different face", he announced.

He could, said Borré, be used in many positions on the offensive: He feels most comfortable as a "hanging tip, liaison player or winger". And he added that despite the short time in which he could put his feet up, he was bursting with energy and could hardly wait to talk to Glasner in detail about what exactly the coach was planning with him. “I'm really excited,” said Borré, “to train.” That should be possible.