Jens Grahl is used to not playing the main role among football goalkeepers.

In his first three years of work at VfB Stuttgart from 2016 onwards, the now 32-year-old only played second fiddle.

After that, he had to make do with the task of deputy to the number one substitute for two seasons - regardless of the rank and name of his work colleagues in the constant competition.

Not a single competitive game for VfB is therefore in the overall balance of the new Frankfurt goalkeeper Grahl, who only appeared once in the Stuttgart Bundesliga squad in the previous season.

Nevertheless, the native of Stuttgart, who played for VfB up to U17 in his youth, could have ended his career in his hometown, because the longest-serving professional there was in his own way an identification figure in the squad and for many as the "good soul of the team" enjoyed a great reputation.

The second oldest Eintracht player

“We are very reluctant to let Jens go because we had planned him as an important part of our goalkeeping team for the coming season. Even beyond his active career, we showed him a clear perspective at VfB and, with his vast experience, would have liked to have tied him to us for the long term, ”said Stuttgart sports director Sven Mislintat when he said goodbye to Grahl, whose contract ends on July 1, 2022 was.

Even at Eintracht Frankfurt, the family man is unlikely to be the center of attention in his old days - Grahl is now the second oldest player in the current squad.

As long as the one year younger national goalkeeper Kevin Trapp is healthy, the recognized Frankfurt leading player will also be in goal.

At his presentation on Wednesday in the World Cup arena, Grahl Trapp ennobled as a “world class goalkeeper”, from whom he could “learn a lot and learn a lot”.

The only 19-year-old German Kosovar Diant Ramaj joins the firm Trapp with his over 200 premier league games.

The junior national player, who moved from the second division club 1. FC Heidenheim to Main and who has not yet played with the professionals, has shown his talent in the U17 and U19 Bundesliga so far.

If Ramaj, who is “a great talent” for Grahl, is able to offer the same level of performance as his new team-mate Grahl at the start of the season, head coach Oliver Glasner should make the highly talented young player the new number two in goal, after all, the future on the Main should belong to him at some point .

Only if Grahl is the more reliable variant for Glasner, the goalkeeper from Swabia will have a nose for the place on the bench in front.

Perspective after the career

Despite his age, Grahl has hardly any experience in the premium class with his twelve Bundesliga appearances for TSG Hoffenheim - two of them were against Eintracht.

Most familiar to him, who played his last first division game in May 2016, was the extra role at the top level.

With the late club change, however, his ambition is now aroused to move up one place in the goalkeeper hierarchy to second place.

"I am fit and feel in the shape of my life" - with these words, which summed up his future expectations, Grahl said goodbye to Stuttgart.

Not without adding that it was not an easy decision for him to leave his "heart club", where he was "the dad of the team".

Grahl announced on Wednesday that there was "no indication or agreement" as to who would be number two and three at Eintracht. The Frankfurters lured him from his familiar surroundings in Stuttgart with the “long-term perspective” that they would now have offered him on the Main beyond his active career. According to Eintracht, the goalkeeper received a three-year contract. When he said goodbye in Stuttgart, however, Grahl spoke of a five-year collaboration. It is made up of three years as an active goalkeeper and two years as a goalkeeper coach - this is how Grahl specified in his introduction.

Eintracht's offer “came at the right time,” he said, and provided the reason: “It's also a new challenge, maybe to get a little out of my comfort zone.” And after his active career he will be his dream as a goalkeeping coach, he said, he will be able to achieve this in the youth sector.

Grahl found the offer from Eintracht "with such a long term" to be so appreciative that he accepted this new challenge.

With him, the Hessians get a team player who “never let himself down” in Stuttgart.

“I'm preparing for X day.

Because when he comes, I have to be there ”.

At VfB, Grahl was always able to “motivate himself well” in his own estimation. This is another reason why the Frankfurt goalkeeping coach Jan Zimmermann appreciates the new man. "For our goalkeeper constellation" Grahl's commitment is the perfect person, said Eintracht sports director Markus Krösche, who once played with the newcomer in Paderborn. However, Grahl had his first Bundesliga appearance in Frankfurt. Here he won the game with TSG Hoffenheim.