It’s a crazy story. Bundesliga debutant Julian Malatini hadn’t even been on the pitch for two minutes when he slotted home to make it 3-1. Even the 22-year-old himself was a bit taken aback following his decisive goal in the 3-1 win over SC Freiburg: “I was suddenly in a position where I don’t usually find myself,” the Argentinean explained shortly after the game. As long as it benefits the Green-Whites, no one will mind.
It was the final play of the game when Malatini rounded Freiburg’s goalkeeper Noah Atubolu and slotted the ball home with his second touch of the game. The 22-year-old was rightly hailed by his teammates and also received plenty of praise for his performance following the game. “First, he won the game with us at the Allianz Arena and then he scored today. What a debut,” goalkeeper Michael Zetterer exclaimed. Justin Njinmah also spoke clearly about the Argentinean: “The boy is just fun!”
However, if Malatini thinks that he’ll get just get away with this debut, then he’ll have failed to take Marco Friedl into account: “I’ve got to think about it, but he’s definitely got to get his wallet out because I’m also a little bit peeved. It took him two minutes to do what I’ve managed to do in 120 games – namely scoring a Bundesliga goal,” the captained explained. Amidst all the teasing, the defender also spoke honestly in the end: “I’m extremely pleased for him as he’s just a down-to-earth guy.”
Based on his teammates’ reactions, the following words from Malatini are true. “Everyone has given me a warm welcome and I feel very comfortable at the club,” the new signing said. It’s certainly not easy for a young player, who has travelled to the other side of the world to play football, can’t speak the language and has to get used to the culture. However, the Argentinean seems to have already overcome the initial barriers. “Everyone makes me feel welcome and I hope that it continues.”
Head coach Ole Werner also sees it as his responsibility to help Malatini settle in. “He’s done very well in the first few days and it’s now our job to help him continue to acclimatise a little bit at a time.” It remains to be seen how far the defender can eventually go. However, the 22-year-old certainly feels ready to for the challenge at the Green-Whites. “I’ll do everything to help the team,” Malatini explained.
