Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Makoto Hasebe leaves the end of his professional career open.
“I want to finish next year, but I’ve been going on for five years and I can’t say for sure if it will be like this,” said the 38-year-old Japanese of the Bundesliga soccer team. “Next year I’ll be 39. Normally you leave then, but maybe I’m not normal. I want to play football for as long as possible.”
Hasebe has been in Frankfurt since 2014 and extended his expiring contract by a year in February. He also agreed a follow-up contract with Eintracht until 2027. It is still unclear which job Hasebe will then take on. It would be possible to continue working as a youth or professional coach. Hasebe has already started training to acquire the B license. “I prefer to play football but it’s an interesting thing,” he said. “I would like to stay in Germany after my playing career.”
At first he would not have expected that he had been playing on the Main for so long. “I never thought that I would stay with Eintracht for so long,” said Hasebe. “I’ve done a lot for the club, but I’ve also gotten a lot from the club and the fans.”