Omar Marmoush may not have featured at all during Eintracht’s 2-0 home win over Borussia Dortmund on 17 January, but after taking to the pitch once the final whistle had blown he was moved to tears as he offered one last round of applause towards fans in the north-west stand, bidding farewell after around 18 months at the club.
It was a send-off he “deserved”, according to board member for sport Markus Krösche: “Omar is one of us, he’s done a great deal for us over the past 18 months. He played a major role in our success. Everyone in the team is happy for him to take this next step.”
The Egypt international responded to the emotional moment in front of the fans with a post on X with the message: “Forever in my heart”. It marks the end of a journey together that will live long in the memory of the Eintracht faithful.
Marmoush signed for Eintracht on 15 May 2023, and Krösche’s words upon announcing his arrival would later prove prophetic: “He’s a player whose abilities will give our attack more variety. Omar has already demonstrated his qualities in the Bundesliga but still has the potential to develop further.”
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The player himself shared that opinion. “My pace is one of my strengths, but I still have a lot of things to work on,” he said at a press conference that marked his official unveiling as an Eagle. “I need to convert more of my chances; that’s something I’m still lacking in a bit. I’ve got everything I need here to perform and to keep developing.” And Frankfurt would indeed prove to be a fertile ground for the attacker.
Leading the way in the Bundesliga
Marmoush contributed 12 goals and six assists in his first season in Frankfurt, scoring a number of memorable goals including a last-minute effort to draw 1-1 in Mainz and a brace in a 3-3 draw with Dortmund. However, in the current season in particular the 25-year-old has developed into a true heavyweight.
“It’s not normal,” said an amazed Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany – himself a former Man City captain – after Marmoush struck in stoppage time again to secure a 3-3 draw in a match in which he hit another brace.
The forward had 24 direct goal contributions (nine assists, 15 scored) in the first half of the 2024/25 Bundesliga season, more than any other player in the division. He even registered both a goal and an assist in six different games, a tally bettered only by his compatriot Mohamed Salah (eight) across Europe’s top five leagues. For context, Jadon Sancho is the only other Bundesliga player ever to achieve this feat since detailed data collection began in 2004/05.
Marmoush’s 15 league strikes in the first half of the season also set a new club record, beating the previous best of 14 established by Theofanis Gekas in 2010/11.
A defender’s worst nightmare
“I think Omar can be a nightmare for any opponent,” said head coach Dino Toppmöller. He was also proved right, as the striker’s free-kick expertise no doubt caused plenty of defenders some sleepless nights.
Free-kick king
So much so that he became the first Frankfurt player, and first in the Bundesliga since Bochum’s Christian Fuchs, to score a free-kick in three consecutive games. Indeed, that trio of goals from set pieces is more than any other player in Germany’s top flight this term. Overall, Eintracht have scored ten times from dead-ball situations this season, nine of which were delivered by Marmoush – another league best.
He leaves behind some big shoes for others to fill. Yet the impressive team performance against Dortmund recently gave an indication of what can be achieved without the former No.7. The only question left to answer is who will take over the role as dressing room DJ; Marmoush was skilled at hitting the right note off the pitch as well as on it. But from now on he will be setting the tone in Manchester.
