Eintracht Frankfurt is welcoming back Austrian coach Adi Hütter for a second tenure, hoping to recapture past glories after a challenging period under Albert Riera.
With their former successful coach, Adi Hütter, Eintracht Frankfurt aims to return to its peak performance. Following the unsuccessful stint with Albert Riera, Hütter is tasked with re-establishing the team in the upper echelon of the Bundesliga and guiding them back to European competition. The Austrian has signed a three-year contract with the Hessian club, running until the summer of 2029, and will commence his second spell on July 1st. The club announced this on Sunday, with the official introduction of the new head coach scheduled for Monday afternoon.
Hütter expressed his feelings about returning, stating, «It’s something very special and emotional to be the coach of Eintracht again.» He added, «The time we had together in Frankfurt shaped me, and I’ve never forgotten it. Looking back, I always felt I hadn’t finished yet.» He is «delighted» with the second chance at SGE, a club that has developed «magnificently» over the years. He plans to approach the task with «a lot of hard work, discipline, and a clear focus.»
After his initial three years at Eintracht, Hütter moved to league rivals Borussia Mönchengladbach in the summer of 2021 under somewhat controversial circumstances. Reflecting on his departure, Hütter said, «I would have wished for the departure back then to be completely different.» He added, «If that situation were to arise again, I would handle it very differently.» However, past disagreements have been resolved, especially since current board member for sport, Markus Krösche, was not even with the club at that time.
Hütter’s appointment aligns perfectly with the coaching profile sought by the club following what Krösche described as an «underestimation» with the signing of Riera. The 56-year-old is known for his «courageous attacking football, clarity, and discipline. He has demonstrated at his previous clubs that he can combine fast-paced transition play with possession,» Krösche explained. He also noted it’s an «advantage that Adi knows the structures, the environment, and the people within and around the club, requiring no special period of adjustment.»
Adi Hütter Returns to Eintracht Frankfurt
Krösche emphasized that Hütter has a track record of «developing teams» at all his previous positions. The new coach has conveyed an impression of «great desire and passion to achieve something with Eintracht once again.» Furthermore, the Austrian exudes the necessary composure to guide the «moody diva of the Main» back to calmer waters after the turbulent months under Riera.
Prior to his dismissal in October 2025, Hütter was employed by AS Monaco, whom he led to the Champions League twice. Frankfurt finished eighth in the past Bundesliga season, marking the first time in six years they failed to qualify for a European competition. In January, long-serving coach Dino Toppmöller was dismissed after only one win in nine previous competitive matches and a high number of goals conceded.
The subsequent experiment with the extroverted but internationally inexperienced Riera proved to be a failure. Now, Hütter, along with assistant coaches Christian Peintinger and Klaus Schmidt, is expected to build upon his successful period, which included reaching the Europa League semi-finals in 2019 and the DFB-Pokal semi-finals in 2020. During that time, he was known for leading the «Buffalo Herd» – featuring players like Ante Rebic, Luka Jovic, and Sebastien Haller – in spectacular, fast-paced football.
The new head coach announced his intention to play «a successful season» with the team. At the very least, with no triple burden of competitions, he will have ample time to implement his tactical ideas.