"I paid dearly for that": Bundesliga loanee makes a shocking confession about his career

Dina Ebimbe admits he underestimated professional football's demands. Teammates like Hugo Ekitike, now at Liverpool FC, grasped the gravity of the situation sooner, while Ebimbe stayed in his comfort zone. "I now understand that football isn't just my passion, it's my job. I didn't realise that before," he said.

He adds, "I wish I'd been as professional as I am now sooner. Many teammates, like Hugo Ekitike, saw it earlier. Football is tough—you have to outwork others. In Frankfurt, I ignored that. I was too relaxed."

He acknowledged his personal disappointment, explaining, "I trust people too easily, and I paid a heavy price for that. Now I only trust those who were there for me when I wasn't playing. For the first time in my career, I know I'm surrounded by the best possible people."

The result: a complete overhaul of his entourage and a radically changed lifestyle. "I've changed everything. I've made major decisions about the people closest to me. I've changed a lot of things and now do everything off the pitch to perform at my best," he explained. "I now complete two training sessions a day, work with a nutritionist and go to bed early. I even drink more water. I feel better not just on the pitch, but in every area of my life."

The 25-year-old explained at length: "I turned my life upside down, changed advisors and exploited relationships with so-called friends. People only told me what I wanted to hear, and that was wrong."

His conclusion is clear: "You need people around you who are honest, not those who just tell you what you want to hear. If they really love you, they'll give you the truth, whether you like it or not, and I've taken that to heart."

He also admitted regretting his decision to ignore advice from Eintracht Frankfurt sporting director Markus Krösche: "He told me, 'Look after your circle of friends and surround yourself with better people.' I wish I'd realised that sooner. But sometimes things happen for a reason. Now I've understood it, and it's helped me become the person I am today," said Dina Ebimbe.

Eintracht Frankfurt paid Paris Saint-Germain €6.5 million for Dina Ebimbe, yet the midfielder managed only eleven minutes of first-team action between November 2024 and September 2025. A planned winter move to AS Monaco collapsed at the last hurdle after he failed a medical.

Although he excelled during a loan at Stade Brest, scoring five goals in 26 appearances, all signs now point to a return to SGE. Twelfth-placed Brest do hold a €7m buy option, yet that fee remains well beyond the club's previous €5m transfer record.

"I don't know for sure, but I don't expect it. I'll probably go back to Frankfurt for now," the midfielder says. Back in Frankfurt, he will find a changed landscape. Under former coach Dino Toppmöller, he was ultimately sidelined, even banned from first-team training. Nevertheless, Dina Ebimbe is eager for a second chance under the new sporting management.

"I'm coming back as a new person. (...) I love Frankfurt, I love this club, I love the fans. They've done a lot for me; I can't deny that. That's why I respect their decisions," he said.

Should he still find no room in Frankfurt, he is ready: "If they give me this chance under the new manager, I'll certainly give one hundred per cent. And if not, I'll still give my all to be in top form for another club."

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