FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Eintracht Frankfurt signed the up-and-coming German goalkeeper Noah Atubolu from Freiburg on the day the new Bundesliga season gets underway.
Atubolu was key to Freiburg's run to the Europa League final last season — where it lost to Aston Villa — and had been linked with a potential move to Villa in the summer as he sought to leave.
Instead, he heads to Frankfurt on what is initially a season-long loan with “a purchase option, which will automatically trigger an obligation to buy under certain conditions,” Frankfurt said.
Atubolu had a year left on his old Freiburg contract and has signed an extension to make the loan-to-buy deal possible, Freiburg said. That prevents him moving elsewhere as a free agent next summer instead of joining Frankfurt permanently.
It ends a long-running transfer saga which included Freiburg signing Germany Under-21 goalkeeper Mio Backhaus from Werder Bremen as its replacement for Atubolu, who was left out of the squad for Freiburg's opening three games of the season in the German Cup and Conference League qualifiers.
“We have very complicated weeks and months behind us,” Freiburg sporting director Jochen Saier said in a statement.
The Bundesliga gets underway with defending champion Bayern Munich playing Stuttgart on Friday. Frankfurt visits Union Berlin on Saturday before Freiburg takes on Backhaus' former club Bremen on Sunday.
See AP’s full soccer coverage here
FILE - Freiburg's goalkeeper Noah Atubolu gestures during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and SC Freiburg in Leverkusen, Germany, on Oct. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)
MONACO (AP) — Ajax will play at Atalanta in the marquee fixture of the Conference League after Friday's 36-team draw paired two clubs who were in the Champions League last season.
Former Liverpool star Mohamed Salah also has dropped down to the third-tier competition with his new club Trabzonspor, which will host Freiburg, Heart of Midlothian and Jablonec.
Trabzonspor’s six-game slate also has visits to Red Star Belgrade, KuPS Kuopio in Finland and CSKA Sofia.
Atalanta, the 2024 Europa League winner, will host Ajax and gets trips across the European map to Pafos in Cyprus, Mjallby in Sweden and Kairat Almaty in Kazakhstan.
Monaco will come to Britain twice to face Brighton and Heart of Midlothian, and host Freiburg which reached the Europa League final last season.
Brighton owner Tony Bloom avoided playing Hearts, where he has a minority stake of 29%. That complies with UEFA multi-club ownership rules that limit so-called “decisive influence” at two teams in the same competition.
Brighton’s three away games include going to Getafe and Panathinaikos.
Andorra has its first ever team in a UEFA competition and Inter Escaldes will host Copenhagen, which was in the Champions League last season. Inter Escaldes will travel to Red Star, the European champion in 1991, Getafe and Mjallby.
Conference League games start Oct. 15 and the sixth and final round is played Dec. 17. The final is on June 2 in Istanbul at Besiktas’ stadium.
See AP’s full soccer coverage here
Brann's Noah Holm celebrates scoring a goal during the Conference League playoff soccer match between SK Brann and PAOK, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, in Brann, Norway. (Paul S. Amundsen/NTB Scanpix via AP)
Brighton and Hove Albion's Mats Wieffer, right, celebrates scoring during the Conference League play-off second leg soccer match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Tromso in Brighton, England, Thursday Aug. 27, 2026. (Gareth Fuller/PA via AP)
Ajax's Marcos Leonardo, center, celebrates scoring during the Conference League play-off round soccer match between FC Sion and AFC Ajax in Sion, Switzerland, Thursday Aug. 20, 2026. (Justin Gillieron/Keystone via AP)
Atalanta's Head Coach Maurizio Sarri during the Serie A soccer match between Atalanta and Sassuolo in Bergamo, Italy, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)
Atalanta's Nikola Krstovic celebrates after scoring 2-1 during the Serie A soccer match between Atalanta and Sassuolo in Bergamo, Italy, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)
