The mood at Eintracht Frankfurt is dire, even with the possibility of European football still alive. Coach Albert Riera has managed to divide the team in record time, but the real problems run much deeper.
The likelihood is not small; it’s enormous: Eintracht Frankfurt is poised to prematurely dismiss coach Albert Riera, who was only appointed in February. Given the developments under the Spaniard, this decision has become almost unavoidable.
However, it’s not solely the sporting performance that will lead to this decision. Riera’s record at the Riederwald is remarkably balanced: four wins, four draws, and four losses. This places them ninth in the league, four points behind fourth place, if there were a separate Riera table.
Certainly, a points-per-game average of 1.33 and only one win in the last six matches is not a badge of honor for the 44-year-old. Yet, SGE is still in contention for the seventh-place Conference League spot. While SC Freiburg has a one-point lead, Eintracht boasts a superior goal difference by five.
What has caused the coach to stumble are his team leadership and public relations. In record time, Riera has alienated a large portion of the players, including many key performers – if such players even exist in this very shaky season. Dozens of questionable internal details regarding his handling of the team have emerged since Riera took over. He vehemently denied these as «nonsense» in a recent press conference, revealing a catastrophic understanding of media relations.
Eintracht Frankfurt Has Reached Its Limits
Sporting director Markus Krösche is left with no choice but to fire Riera to prevent further damage to the club. Irritation over Riera’s behavior is widespread among the team, club management, and fans. However, he is not the sole culprit.
The blame must clearly be placed on Krösche. The 45-year-old built the squad and has hired three coaches this season. Given the current form, missing out on a European competition – which would be only the second time since 2018 – is the realistic scenario. Krösche and his club are facing a veritable heap of broken glass.
While it’s understandable that board spokesman Axel Hellmann recently stated it’s «certainly not a crisis» for a club like Eintracht when the question before the end of the season is whether they finish seventh or eighth, what weighs heavier is the fact that after years of organic growth, culminating in the 2022 Europa League victory and the first-ever Champions League qualification, Frankfurt has reached its limits.
Frankfurt’s Growth: ‘Can We Even Keep Up?’
The current squad is poorly assembled. For instance, a central defender and a true defensive midfielder are lacking. The Midas touch that made Krösche one of the league’s top managers seems to have deserted him. Hellmann already stated at the general meeting in January: «I believe we misjudged the squad in one or two areas and positions and must admit: one or two individuals simply didn’t perform.»
This, in turn, is detrimental to the business model. Frankfurt desperately needs to generate transfer revenue and ideally secure Champions League income to maintain the status quo. Personnel costs have risen by almost 36 million euros over the past two seasons.
If they don’t play in Europe next year, the deficit of 8.4 million euros already reported in the summer could balloon towards the 20 million mark. Higher income naturally leads to higher expenditures. «Can we even keep up with this? Or do we have to say at some point: This is where it stops for us, we have to look elsewhere,» as finance director Julien Zamberk recently put it.
Krösche’s Biggest Mistake: The Riera Experiment
Therefore, Krösche must undertake a significant overhaul in the summer, for both economic and sporting reasons, to get Eintracht back on track, including emotionally. After the sobering 1-2 defeat against HSV on Saturday, the home crowd loudly booed multiple times. The sense of identification, a significant advantage for the club not too long ago, has noticeably faded.
The crucial factor will be whether Krösche’s knack for transfers functions again. Prices have risen significantly everywhere; former niche markets like France or Scandinavia have become more expensive and are intensely contested by dozens of competitors. Krösche will have to tell and sell a different story in the future; SGE will have to reinvent itself to some extent.
It has been clear for a long time that the squad needs plenty of fresh blood, given the turmoil of this season. However, the additional need for a new coach complicates the situation. Entering into the experiment with the highly unconventional Riera, to whom they actually wanted to give a full pre-season and transfer window (Krösche: «Albert will not be measured by what happens at the end of this season»), is Krösche’s biggest mistake. It failed before it even began.
Riera Has Divided the Team at Breakneck Speed
It is astonishing how fundamentally someone with an excellent reputation like Krösche could be so mistaken in choosing Dino Toppmöller’s successor. The intention to present a rather ordinary squad with a confident coach of high authority may have been correct. However, Riera’s difficult self-perception was well-known in the industry. It is not surprising that this quickly ignites a wildfire in a volatile location like Frankfurt.
«He is unfortunately so convinced of himself that he would even ask God: ‘I’m here now, where are you sitting?'» Adam Delius, the president of Riera’s former club Olimpija Ljubljana, once told ran.de. «If he doesn’t get a psychologist and media advisor by his side, he will fail because of himself.»
Recently, on the weekend, Can Uzun, criticized by Riera without being asked regarding his defensive work, said: «The mood can’t be great.» He added: «But we are trying to stay a team.» Riera has divided this team at breakneck speed, and according to Bild, Friday’s match in Dortmund is already a final for the coach. He was Krösche’s desired coach, with whom Eintracht is reportedly looking to extend his contract given a presumably open future. Soon he will dismiss him – and must immediately clean up the mess for which he is responsible.
Albert Riera: His Record as Eintracht Frankfurt Coach
| Competitive Matches | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goal Difference | Points Per Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 17:15 | 1.33 |