Robin Koch

Written by Nicolas Horn and Christian Spiller for Die Zeit:

His father Harry, who defended for Kaiserslautern from 1995 to 2003, was a cult figure in the 90s. Robin has inherited a lot from him, but unfortunately not the ringlets. Robin Koch is one of very few Bundesliga players who were not trained at a youth academy. He played for the regional league club Eintracht Trier in his youth and completed a three-year apprenticeship as an industrial salesman in Karl Marx's hometown. Perhaps he can give the cash-strapped DFB a few financial tips. “My parents always said: first comes school, apprenticeship and then football,” he once told Der Spiegel. Koch played for Leeds United in the Premier League for three years. He moved back to the Bundesliga in 2023 and is a reliable part of the Eintracht defence. Germany certainly have more talented centre-backs, but Koch has worked his way into the squad. Commenting on the home European Championships, he told the sports magazine Kicker: “It could be a very special summer in Germany.”