Actually, the postal address of Eintracht Frankfurt’s pro training camp (“In the heart of Europe 1”) already signals the international claim. This is reflected in the meeting rooms named after former European Cup opponents: Glasgow Rangers, Juventus Turin, or Widzew Łódź. But there is a danger that the Hesse team may miss an international competition for the first time since 2020.
Before the away game at Borussia Dortmund on Friday evening, Eintracht is only eighth. And even this position could wobble if VfB Stuttgart comes to the Frankfurt City Forest on the last matchday. Whether Albert Riera would still be on the bench then is not guaranteed. The coach is only available on call; a defeat in Dortmund he would hardly survive.
By the end of the season at the latest there should be a cut. Not least, the football coach bound to a contract until 2028 unsettles with his conduct and his almost self-absorbed demeanor. Ultimately, sporting director Markus Krösche inflicted a costly misunderstanding with the Spaniard’s appointment. Anyway, Krösche’s reputation is damaged by the squad composition and the coaching decisions.
At his introduction, Riera boasted that the players would jump off the balcony for him
The idea of firing the eccentric Riera the day after the debacle against Hamburger SV (1:2) was abandoned, because the available interim duo Dennis Schmitt and Alexander Meier, following the dismissal of Dino Toppmöller, had also not earned any points.
The team bears part of the responsibility for the Eagles, who started the season as secret Bayern chasers, falling so badly — and with the club’s most expensive squad in its history. Already at the winter break, chairman Axel Hellmann warned that “a little too much feel-good oasis” had spread. The wake-up call fizzled with the professionals. Riera quickly recognized the deficits; his expertise is highly respected, but the 44-year-old lost all backing with his personal and tactical solo moves.
The last somewhat convincing game was the home win against SC Freiburg (2:0) on March 1. Since then, in eight matches, only nine points have been earned. Moreover, his points-per-game average is worse than that of his predecessor Toppmöller. Last Saturday even the Ultras withheld their support. The crowd booed Riera because his grandiose announcements are usually followed by unimaginative performances. The rift between large parts of the team and the coach is also severed. He had boasted at his introduction that the players would jump from the balcony for him.
Hardly any football coach in the Frankfurt area has shattered so much porcelain in such a short time as the idiosyncratic Mallorcan, who comes across as stubborn and quarrelsome, unpredictable and unteachable. His appearances in public with long-winded admonitions or furious tirades were not compatible with a professionally run club. All attempts to give the headstrong figure well-meaning advice failed.
New and Old Names
In the summer a radical cut will follow — at all levels of sport. The team behind the team has also been unnecessarily inflated. Manager Krösche does not necessarily have to start from scratch, but much needs to be put to the test. First, however, a coach must be found who can again awaken the core virtues of Eintracht. Various names are already making the rounds.
Many supporters would welcome a recall of Adi Hütter, who was dismissed in Monaco. Matthias Jaissle, currently at Al-Ahli, could become a candidate; the names Jacob Neestrup (clubless / previously FC Copenhagen) and Kjetil Knutsen (FK Bodø/Glimt) pop up again. As German solutions, Alexander Blessin (St. Pauli) and Ralf Kettemann (SC Paderborn) are discussed. Eintracht’s man Krösche lives with his family in Paderborn, and remains the club’s all-time appearances record holder who can still dream of Bundesliga promotion.
