Eintracht Frankfurt appears to be narrowing down its search for a successor to Albert Riera. Matthias Jaissle is reportedly interested in a return to a top-5 European league and is open to a move from Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli to Eintracht Frankfurt, according to Sport1. Eintracht’s sporting director, Markus Krösche, is said to be a «big fan» of Jaissle and maintains regular contact with the 38-year-old coach.
Krösche and Jaissle have a history from their time within the Red Bull network; Krösche worked with RB Leipzig for an extended period, while Jaissle coached RB Salzburg. Krösche has reportedly attempted to recruit Jaissle to Eintracht twice before, first in the summer of 2023 after Oliver Glasner’s departure and again during the winter of the recently concluded season. When a deal with Al-Ahli and Jaissle didn’t materialize, Eintracht ultimately hired Albert Riera as the replacement for the dismissed Dino Toppmöller. However, the tenure of the Spaniard, described as having a difficult personality, proved to be a complete failure. Riera fell out with key members of the squad and the media, and was sacked after securing only four wins in 14 matches.
Eintracht Frankfurt Faces Disaster with Albert Riera — Krösche Takes Responsibility
«I put him in a situation where he hardly had any chance to succeed,» Krösche stated at a recent press conference concluding the season, referring to Riera’s appointment. He admitted that hiring the Spaniard was «my wrong decision. My misjudgment,» thereby taking responsibility for the club missing out on European qualification.
Krösche acknowledged that he acted against his own principles when signing Riera. «The most important principle I disregarded: When you have to change the coach during the season, don’t hire a coach who doesn’t know the league and doesn’t have the experience.» He explained the reason for this lapse: «I had a feeling and a conviction. I always act out of conviction. It was so strong that I disregarded the principle of caution.»
Eintracht Frankfurt: Jaissle Reportedly Willing to Take a Significant Pay Cut
The circumstances are now entirely different following the end of the season. Notably, Jaissle is already familiar with the Bundesliga, albeit from his playing days at TSG Hoffenheim. According to Sport1, he meets a crucial criterion for Eintracht’s coaching search: the club is determined to hire a German-speaking coach who can «reignite the crowd with dynamic football.» This profile aligns well with Jaissle’s capabilities.
Eintracht has reportedly reached out to Jaissle, who recently won the Asian Champions League for the second time with Al-Ahli and is under contract until 2027. Jaissle, in turn, is said to be prepared to make significant concessions from his current substantial salary of 15 million Euros if an ambitious Bundesliga or Premier League club expresses interest.
Eintracht Frankfurt Also Considering a Return for Adi Hütter
In addition to Jaissle, former coach Adi Hütter is also considered a top candidate for the vacant coaching position at the Hessian club. Hütter largely fits the desired profile as well. Krösche wants the new manager to possess a «clear idea» of how they want to play football. Eintracht needs to inject «a certain intensity» back into their game, a «mix between transition football and possession football. We need to master both aspects to regularly compete for international places.»
Unlike Jaissle, a return for Hütter would not require a transfer fee. The Austrian has been without a club since his dismissal from AS Monaco in October of last year.
«We are in discussions. We want to find a solution promptly,» Krösche recently stated regarding the timeline for the coaching search. According to Bild, the club’s clear objective is to conclude their search within the coming week.