Niko Iličević has become the youngest player in the history of the Bundesliga. The talented Eintracht footballer came on in the 90th minute for Can Uzun in the match against HSV, having celebrated his 16th birthday on Saturday. In doing so, he equalled the record of Youssoufa Moukoko, who debuted on 21 November 2020 against Hertha at the age of 16 years and one day.
Iličević immediately showed in his first action why he is considered one of the greatest talents in Eintracht’s youth academy. He won the ball, advanced towards the opponent’s goal and fired a shot that finished wide of the target. His debut against HSV also has a family dimension, as his uncle Ivo Iličević once played for that club.
The young footballer holds Croatian and German citizenship, and has so far represented Germany’s youth teams. The Croatian Football Federation (HNS) has shown interest in him, and HNS representatives previously spoke with his family about the possibility of him playing for Croatia in the future.
Eintracht manager Adi Hütter announced that he might give the talented footballer an opportunity, but emphasised that his development must be handled with caution. 'He is an exceptional player with the ball, but he has also learned to fight and win duels. It is my duty to work very carefully with such a young player,' Hütter said.
In the final match of the eighth round of the Bundesliga, Eintracht beat Hamburg 3:1 at home in Frankfurt. The visiting player Omari scored an own goal in the 10th minute, Moffi equalised in the 14th minute, Onyedike made it 2:1, and Ebnoutalib sealed the 3:1 victory in the 69th minute. With this win, Eintracht jumped to eighth place in the table, while Hamburg slid to 15th position.
In the penultimate match of the eighth round, Union Berlin and Koeln drew 1:1. The hosts took the lead in the 10th minute following a goal by Haberer and an assist by Skarke, while Malek El Mala scored in the 80th minute to equalise and secure the final draw. Croatian footballer Borna Sosa played the entire match for Koeln, who are in 12th place, while the Berlin side are in 16th position.
