Sophia Kleinherne extends contract until 2026

As the current season draws to a close, more foundations are being put in place for the next campaign. Another key player will be staying at Eintracht Frankfurt beyond the summer after Sophia Kleinherne signed a new contract until 30 June 2026.

The centre-back joined 1. FFC Frankfurt from FSV Gütersloh in summer 2017. She initially played for the U20 side in Women’s Bundesliga 2 but made her top-flight debut after just a few matchdays. Since then, Kleinherne – who turned 24 last week – has become a key player in Niko Arnautis’ team, racking up a total of 164 competitive appearances for Frankfurt, including 130 in the Bundesliga and 10 in the UEFA Women’s Champions League. She has also made 27 senior appearances for Germany and was included in the squad for both the 2022 European Championship and the 2023 World Cup.

“Eintracht Frankfurt is an extraordinary club, and such an extraordinary club deserves strong commitment,” said Kleinherne. “I’m incredibly proud to be here and want to continue playing an active role in making women’s football at this club even greater. Most of all, though, Eintracht Frankfurt is something close to my heart because I really love being here. To be completely honest, my heart decided in the end.”

Sporting director and head coach Arnautis commented: “We picked up Sophia in 2017 as a very young talent from Gütersloh. She boarded here, started in the U20s and was then very quickly integrated into the first team. She performed as a regular starter already in her first season and has since been able to gain a lot of experience. She’s an international, has been to a EURO and a World Cup, played in a cup final and experienced the Champions League group stage with us. A young player has become a seasoned figure, a real key player. It’s special to go on this journey together for so long and that’s why it’s a special day when a player like Sophia still sees her future here. We’re pleased to be going on these next steps with her.”