A year ago today in Frankfurt: Jens Petter Hauge maneuvered himself further into the offside at Eintracht during the summer preparations. With mostly poor performance in training and in test matches. The offensive player from Norway, who appears quite weak, is missing a lot in the second attempt: commitment and assertiveness, the absolute will to want to move more. Hauge should have taken off after a personally unconvincing first season in order to finally do justice to his original market value – with a transfer fee of around ten million euros from AC Milan, he was Frankfurt’s record transfer in 2021. He received the receipt for his idleness from the coach at the time, Oliver Glasner.
In the training games, Hauge was left out and instead had to practice crosses and shots on goal with other professionals from the back row: a clear sign. As a way out for his hopelessness on the Main, Eintracht lent him to Gent for a season. The Frankfurt team had already had good experiences twice with their foreign business in Belgium: playmaker Daichi Kamada and defender Tuta returned to their main employer strengthened. In terms of sport, the detour was worth it for all sides.
Summer this year: Hauge is hardly recognizable under Glasner’s successor, Dino Toppmöller. Not just because he lost a few pounds and gained a lot in fitness. The former national player is now showing more muscles. He is more lively and noticeably happy to run. His commitment? Exemplary. Hauge challenges and distributes the balls in training and in friendlies. And he poses a goal threat.
He steeled his body on vacation
In the 15:1 in the first private game against the seventh division club Braunfels, he scored two goals – it could have been more – and initiated numerous attacks. The Norwegian also came close to scoring twice in a 2-1 draw with regional league club Steinbach Haiger on Tuesday. He fought bravely against the physical fatigue caused by the training. Hauge, who ran up to his opponents and sprinted courageously, showed bite that was missing in the past. “Jens Petter makes an incredibly fit impression. He tries a lot and definitely wants to take his chances,” said captain Sebastian Rode, full of praise for his new, old team-mate.
Hauge’s head now seems to play along. After a long start-up period, he recognized the seriousness of the situation for his advancement. His year in Gent without a goal was also lost. Back in January, Hein Vanhaezebrouk had already discussed a premature termination of Hauge’s loan. Because the coach’s words (“Jens Petter still has to flip the switch and show what he’s capable of”) two months earlier had apparently not arrived at the Norwegian. Far from Frankfurt, the list of his failures grew longer. Had his short time in Milan turned Hauge’s head? Did he feel he no longer had to exert himself to achieve new goals?
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The dribbling pro was on the way to frivolously throwing away his career in the premium segment. At some point in the past few months, even Hauge must have become aware of it. It clicked with him. Maybe he got a nudge from a third party or he figured it out himself. Either way, a maturing process has evidently set in for him. Hauge is willing to fight for his career. With diligence and great energy, the Eintracht returnee prepared for the start of training in Frankfurt: he strengthened his body and improved his stamina on vacation.
Hauge went into the hands of a physiotherapist. He also cycled a lot, strengthened his sense of balance and gained mobility. He also practiced goal closures. With his appearance in the first two weeks of training, Hauge, who has taken his fate into his own hands, expressed that he no longer wants to be branded a flop in Frankfurt. That he absolutely wants to use his final chance in his personal race to catch up. But will that be enough to gain a long-term foothold at Eintracht among the best?
Toppmöller registers Hauge’s new creative power with benevolence. The football coach senses his desire to play a new role on the offensive in his old environment. However, when asked in Haiger, Toppmöller said that he cannot currently give any indication as to how things will continue with Hauge at Eintracht. With the young American Paxten Aaronson as the trailing leader and Wolfsburg’s new signing Omar Marmoush, Hauge has plenty of competition. But one thing is clear: Frankfurt made a big investment with the Norwegian. The higher his market value becomes, the more Eintracht benefits as an employer. In this respect, all sides would benefit if Hauge made a brilliant restart at the third attempt with the Conference League participants. Hauge im Hoch – that was previously unimaginable.
