Eintracht Frankfurt has loaned Croatian defender Hrvoje Smolcic to Turkish Super Lig side Kocaelispor. The Bundesliga club announced the loan agreement on Saturday, confirming it will run until the end of the current season. Kocaelispor will subsequently have the option to make the transfer permanent.
Smolcic joined Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer of 2022, arriving from HNK Rijeka. He featured in 32 competitive matches for the club over two seasons, scoring two goals. The 25-year-old previously spent the past season on loan with Austrian Bundesliga outfit Linzer ASK, where he made 33 appearances and found the back of the net three times.
The departure sees Smolcic join Kocaelispor, a team based in Izmit, which has returned to the top flight of Turkish football after a 16-year absence. Despite the move, Smolcic’s contract with Eintracht Frankfurt remains in effect until 2027.