Bitter start for the Lions
Torn cruciate ligament stops Jäkel – this is how he fights back
November 17, 2025 – 3:10 a.mReading time: 2 minutes
First the move to the Lions, then the diagnosis: Frederik Jäkel suffered a torn cruciate ligament. In the Palatinate he is working on his comeback. What drives him.
Shortly after his move to Eintracht Braunschweig in July, central defender Frederik Jäkel tore his cruciate ligament. For the defensive player, the injury represents a major setback at the start of the season. Now the 24-year-old has spoken in detail about his recovery process for the first time.
“I’m doing well. I’m in the eleventh week after the operation and have been walking without crutches for about four weeks,” reported Jäkel in the club interview. That was his first big milestone in rehabilitation. “It’s a very nice feeling to be able to walk normally again. You learn to appreciate these little things again,” explained the defender.
Jäkel is completing his rehabilitation in Landau in the Palatinate, far away from Braunschweig. “We are making good progress and the focus at the moment is on building up strength, but everything within the framework of what is possible and in the sense of load management,” said the central defender. There are also difficult phases: “Of course there are days when things go better and on the other hand there are days when things don’t go fast enough.”
Jäkel also meets other athletes at the rehabilitation facility. “This way I can make new contacts and get to know other people, which makes the rehab a little more bearable,” he said. With his family and friends, he also has a very good environment that supports him.
It is not the first serious injury in Jäkel’s career. From his first rehab he learned that it helps to set small goals and celebrate these successes. “At first the diagnosis and everything that comes with it overwhelms you. But taking this process step by step and setting an intermediate goal is what matters,” said Jäkel.
Despite his absence, the defender follows all Eintracht Braunschweig games live. “Of course I follow all the games live. Then I get to see the boys sometimes, even if it’s just on the screen,” he reported. It’s not easy to watch games from outside when you can’t be there yourself. “Especially in the situation when you want to help the team, it’s even more difficult,” admitted Jäkel. Nevertheless, he is confident that the situation will ease as soon as the injured players return.
The exchange with his teammates is particularly important to the 24-year-old during rehabilitation. “I am regularly in contact with players who ask how I am doing. I am also interested in how they are doing,” explained Jäkel. He also asked what the mood was like in the team. “Even if I can’t be there, I want to be as close to the team as possible. That’s part of what it’s like to be a team athlete. This makes the exchange with the team all the more important, also for the recovery process.”