There are arguments at the management level, things are not going well in sporting terms, the future of coach Oliver Glasner and some professionals is uncertain. At Eintracht Frankfurt there is hardly any trace of the enthusiasm for the great successes such as the DFB Cup victory in 2018 and the Europa League win in 2022. Rather, the power struggle in the club is causing conjecture and unrest.
President Peter Fischer, the public prosecutor’s office in Frankfurt closed investigations into illegal drug possession last Thursday, should ensure harmony again in the traditional club. “Consistency and reliability have distinguished Eintracht Frankfurt in recent years,” said the 67-year-old, who had recently retired from the public eye. “It’s about acting on behalf of the club, the members and the grassroots and doing everything possible to continue on the successful path.”
In and around the professional campus with the address “In the heart of Europe 1”, the chairman of the supervisory board, Philip Holzer, and the spokesman of the board, Axel Hellmann, have been at odds for a long time. After a debate between the two on March 15, Holzer publicly announced that he had offered to resign in order to keep Hellmann at the club. Hellmann refused this.
The visionary and maker of Eintracht has been traded as the new managing director of the German Football League for weeks. Hellmann will hold this position on an interim basis together with Oliver Leki from Freiburg until the end of the season. The Bundesliga club’s eight-member supervisory board recently expressed their confidence in Holzer and at the same time assured them that they “absolutely want to keep Hellmann as board spokesman”.
The 51-year-old now has to decide whether he will follow the lure of the DFL or trust the Eintracht peace offer with the arbitrator Fischer and stay with the Hessians. “Divisive communication is harmful,” emphasized the Eintracht President and announced a meeting with Holzer and Hellmann to “enable a success-oriented future in the spirit of Eintracht Frankfurt”.
After the knockout round of the Champions League against SSC Naples and the last four Bundesliga games without a win or shine, a mini crisis has also arisen in sport – and the question mark behind Coach Glasner’s future has grown thicker. Although the Austrian has a contract until the summer of 2024, he is not always on the same wavelength as sports director Markus Krösche.
However, both vehemently resist speculation about irreconcilable differences. “It’s completely incomprehensible to me how the public gets the impression that Oliver and I have a dysfunctional relationship,” said Krösche of “Bild” and assured: “Of course we sometimes have different views, but we always discuss that in the spirit of the club. We’re never mad at each other.”
Even Glasner cannot understand the assumptions about emigration thoughts and a quarrel with Krösche. “I still have 16, 17 months under contract and I don’t know why everyone is so nervous,” the 48-year-old explained recently. He didn’t tell anyone that he wanted to leave the club.
The squad planning for the next season will certainly decide on his whereabouts, as there could be top-class departures. Daichi Kamada, Djibril Sow and especially striker high-flyer Randal Kolo Muani are very popular with other clubs.
Glasner’s puzzling statements after the game at 1. FC Union Berlin (0:2) also gave room for speculation about his situation at Eintracht. “I’m very careful today. Because anything I say can and will be used against me. That’s why it’s better to keep quiet today,” said the coach.