Robin Koch said he understood anger over Leeds United’s relegation and the mass exodus of players which followed it but insisted he had taken the right decision for his career after accepting a long-term move to Eintracht Frankfurt.
The Germany international left Leeds for Eintracht on loan in the wake of United’s fall from the Premier League in May and finalised an agreement on Tuesday which will see the transfer become permanent at the end of this season.
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Koch’s deal with Leeds expires in six months’ time and United were powerless to stop him departing in the wake of their relegation owing to a clause in his contract which entitled him to join any club who offered to sign him on loan and take on the full cost of his wage.
Eintracht’s decision to activate that clause has seen Koch spend the final year of his Leeds deal in the Bundesliga, and a pre-contract agreement over a deal to 2027 signed by him and Eintracht this week will result in Leeds losing a £12million signing as a free agent.
Leeds paid that sum to buy Koch from Freiburg in 2020, soon after their promotion from the Championship.
Koch’s spell at Elland Road was injury-affected but he played a total of 77 times for the club over three campaigns, his last ending in a 19th-placed finish in the Premier League.
The inclusion of release clauses in player contracts at Elland Road, allowing them to exit easily on loan, was a huge bone of contention over the summer, aggravating the club’s support as numerous individuals involved in their relegation moved on to top-flight sides in England and elsewhere.
Asked if he understood the fanbase’s frustration, Koch said: “It definitely hurt me to read a lot of the comments from fans on social media but of course, I can understand the anger.
“The Leeds fans are positively crazy about their club and relegation was very painful for them. I always did everything I could to be successful with Leeds, and to make the Leeds fans happy. For me, it was terrible that we didn’t achieve our goal of staying up at the end of last season.
“The quality in the team was actually very good. We were a good squad with a good spirit. But we had to deal with a lot of injury worries and unfortunately got into a negative spiral we couldn’t get out of. We tried everything to avoid relegation. When it was finalised, it was a very painful moment.
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“After relegation, I had to deal with it for quite a long time. I didn’t think about leaving Leeds during the season and had no intention of doing so. I was fully focussed on the relegation battle but as a footballer, you have ambitions. My ambition has always been to play as high as possible.
“One of my biggest goals was and is to return to the German national team. It was a great opportunity for me to take the chance at Eintracht and continue to pursue this goal.”
Koch has been a regular in Eintracht’s starting line-up this season, helping the club to climb to sixth in the Bundesliga. He has made 23 appearances across all competitions.
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He and Eintracht began discussing a permanent deal in the run-up to the January transfer window and Koch has accepted a contract from 2024 to 2027, despite the fact that his status in the free agent would have allowed him to explore other options when the season finished.
“It was ultimately a gut decision when I came to Frankfurt at the start of the season, and it was now,” he said.
“But it was also a logical consequence after the first six months here. It just feels right. I enjoy it here and I still see a lot ahead of us. I want to progress here, celebrate successes and I see us on the right path together.
“But I loved the Leeds fans, every game with them. Elland Road was incredible. I wrestled with myself and thought about it for a long time.
“But as I said before, it was simply a decision for my career to continue in the best possible way and to pursue my high goals.
“During a career there are simply moments and decisions that not everyone always understands or accepts. But you never want to hurt anyone.”
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Eintracht confirm Koch deal for summer
(Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
