Kevin Trapp’s prospects of playing time are unlikely to have improved following his move to Paris. He is “only” the clear number two, as his new coach Stephane Gilli announced.
After a total of ten years, interrupted by a three-year interlude at PSG, Kevin Trapp’s era in Frankfurt came to an end on Tuesday. The goalkeeper moved back to Paris – but this time to newly promoted FC. Sporting reasons did not appear to be behind his decision, as he is only set to be the second-choice goalkeeper at PFC. “Things are clear, I made myself very clear to him,” coach Stephane Gilli explained at a press conference on Thursday.
He went on to say: “We currently have a young goalkeeper, Obed Nkambadio, who is very promising. The goal is for Obed to perform well and for us to have a goalkeeper, whether it’s him or Rémy, who can support him.” He would probably have faced a similar role had he stayed in Frankfurt: Kaua Santos, who like Nkambadio is 22 years old and stood in for Trapp in goal in the fall of 2024 and spring of 2025, is the future in the SGE goal.
Trapp does not need a long settling-in period due to his language skills
Nkambadio comes from the capital club’s youth academy and established himself as the first-choice goalkeeper in the 2023/24 season. After 64 Ligue 2 appearances, he made his debut in the French top flight last Sunday in a 1-0 defeat at Angers. In case he fails to confirm his performance in Ligue 1, his club has armed itself with the signing of Trapp. “In the event of a mistake or a dip in form, it’s very good to have someone who can bring his experience to bear,” explained Gilli.
Accordingly, the nine-time German international was also a desired transfer. “He was someone we wanted, with experience,” Gilli explained. The 35-year-old should not need much time to settle in. “He speaks six languages, including very good French, which will help him a lot in settling in,” said the PFC coach.
