Jonny Burkardt’s great first impression
Jonny Burkardt was officially announced as an Eintracht Frankfurt player just a few days ago and he’s already won over a lot of fans. His first press conference and initial appearances on EintrachtTV have left a great impression.
On Friday, 4 July, Eintracht Frankfurt announced the signing of Jonathan Burkardt from Mainz 05. The soon-to-be 25-year-old has signed a contract until 2030. With a transfer fee of €23m, he becomes the second-most expensive signing in Eintracht history. However, the price seems reasonable, considering Burkardt scored 18 Bundesliga goals last season and became a German international – Transfermarkt even value him at €35m. In his first press conference, Burkardt revealed that Mainz sporting director Christian Heidel had promised not to hinder a transfer, should the German striker wish to take the next step.
Burkardt’s announcement video already resonated with many fans. It included a congratulatory message from his dad, who took Jonny to the Waldstadion when he was little. The first few short videos and interviews with Burkardt in an Eintracht shirt were also pretty cool, but yesterday’s press conference and a video showing Jonny‘s first day as an Eagle were what captured the attention of many fans.
In the video, Burkardt was shown around the Eintracht campus, including the offices, the video room and the gym. There he met last season’s U19-coach Mounir Chaftar. Burkardt was glad to meet him and said: "Mounir Chaftar, you wore number 31." Chaftar was a reserve player at Eintracht in the 2000‘s who made just 9 Bundesliga appearances for the club. Burkardt remembering his number was a little detail which impressed many fans. Although Burkardt never actually said it, it quickly became clear that Burkardt has been an Eintracht fan all his life (as InsideFFM already revealed some months ago). He also revealed that his first ever football shirt, which he got when he was four years old, was an Eintracht shirt.
Even though Burkardt didn’t hide his history as an Eintracht fan, he also didn’t emphasize it. Instead, he explained that he was impressed by Eintracht‘s strong interest and their plan for his development, claiming those were the factors that persuaded him to join the club. He even revealed that Eintracht already wanted to sign him half a year ago, but he wanted to complete the season at Mainz. Burkardt stayed loyal to the club that had made him a professional footballer and eventually scored the deciding goals to secure them European football – a sign of great character. He also showed his enthusiasm to play in the Champions League next season, as he’s never played European football before.
Burkardt’s responses at his first press conference were clear and precise – he chose his words thoughtfully when explaining his decision to join Eintracht Frankfurt. The journalists were convinced by his appearance. Phil Hofmeister and Christopher Michel, who were at the press conference, praised him in a YouTube video for Fußball2000:
"I was impressed by his clear expression. He’s a very intelligent guy, who‘s good at both listening and talking."
Phil Hofmeister
“This press conference was really fun. You could feel how excited he was. He was also really honest and focused, when explaining his goals."
Christopher Michel
Jonny Burkardt seems like an intelligent person, but also a likable character. He knows the club and the Bundesliga very well. As the German international explained, he‘s not planning to leave Eintracht Frankfurt anytime soon. Burkardt has the potential to become a fan favorite, team leader and a face of the club. If his development continues according to plan, he’ll be a vital part of the core of our team for the next years.
