Pawollek departing after nine years

Obertshausen-born Tanja Pawollek joined what was 1. FFC Frankfurt from SG Rosenhöhe’s U17 side in 2016, when she was just 17 years old. She established herself as a key first-team player in her very first season as a professional, but the 26-year-old Poland international’s time at Eintracht Frankfurt is now drawing to a close after she decided against extending her current contract, which expires on 30 June.

Despite suffering two ACL injuries – in the 2021 DFB Cup final and the UEFA Women’s Champions League group match against Barcelona in 2024 – Pawollek has scored 25 goals as a defensive midfielder or centre-back in nearly 200 competitive appearances for Eintracht, 153 of them in the Bundesliga. She played 49 times for Germany at youth level and won the European Under-17 Championship in 2016 before opting to represent Poland. She has won 22 caps at senior level and recently helped them qualify for the European Championship for the first time. 

Eintracht skipper Tanja Pawollek: “Nine years at 1. FFC Frankfurt and Eintracht Frankfurt is a long time, one which has included plenty of emotional highs and lows. They’ve undoubtedly been enlightening and formative years, both for me personally and as a footballer. I‘ve got to know a lot of people here at the club who have become close friends. Now, after careful consideration, the time has come for me to say goodbye to Eintracht and the fans, and take on a new challenge at another club after the European Championship with Poland this summer.”

Niko Arnautis, Eintracht head coach and sporting director: "In Tanja, we’re losing a huge personality this summer, one who blossomed into a captain and an integral player at FFC and Eintracht after joining as a youngster in 2016. Tanja has helped shape the club and the squad with her qualities on and off the pitch. We’ll miss her as a player, captain and person at Eintracht Frankfurt. We wish Tanja all the very best for the rest of her career.”