Merlin Röhl: Who is the young Freiburg midfield wizard?
Merlin Röhl has been conjuring up some real moments of magic at Freiburg. bundesliga.com has the lowdown on the Germany U21 midfield wizard...
*Stats correct as of 27 September 2024
Age: 22 (born 5 July 2002)
Club: Freiburg
Position: Central/ attacking midfielder
Country: Germany (nine U21 caps/ two goals)
Key stats
Röhl was born in Potsdam but made the long move southwest to Freiburg, via Ingolstadt, in 2022. He became a regular in the Black Forest club's midfield in 2023/24, producing his first Bundesliga goal and a pair of assists between Matchdays 10-13. The 6'3" midfielder also opened his UEFA Europa League account with a fine strike in the 5-0 group-stage win over Backa Topola. Despite playing less than half of the available playing time last season, he ranked sixth in the team for passes to a shot and fourth for shots per 90 minutes. His efforts in November 2023 also earned him a Bundesliga Rookie of the Month nomination.
Röhl's performances have enabled him to make the leap from the Germany U20s to U21s. He registered an assist on his fourth appearance at that level, before scoring on his fifth, in a UEFA U21 Euro qualifying win against Poland. He previously played for Ingolstadt in the 3. Liga and earned promotion to Bundesliga 2, as well as the club's various youth sections, between 2018 and joining Freiburg in 2022.
Plays a bit like: Leon Goretzka
A rangy central midfielder with good feet, an eye for a pass and the opposition goal, Röhl has a similar profile to Bayern Munich and Germany man Leon Goretzka.
Did you know?
Röhl came through the youth ranks at Babelsberg alongside former Freiburg teammate and Germany international Kevin Schade, now of Brentford.
"We knew each other a little back then," Röhl recalled in an interview with Märkischen Allgemeinen. "It was really funny to then be reunited at Freiburg."
Watch: Röhl netted his first Bundesliga goal at Leipzig in November 2023
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What they're saying
"Merlin's taking big strides after his injury troubles. He's got pace, great movement. He can be a real difference-maker, and he completely identifies with the club." - Former Freiburg head coach Christian Streich
"He fought his way into [Freiburg's] team. That's not easy. He focused on defensive work and also came into his own offensively. He's very quick and determined. He's very dangerous." - Germany U21 head coach Antonio Di Salvo
"Merlin's the complete midfielder. He can do it defensively and offensively." - Röhl's former coach at Ingolstadt, Tomas Oral
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