Eintracht in Champions League: Greatest time of the year”

Et is time to start a new chapter. On the outside, they have closed with what has previously contributed to their reputation among foreign competitors: La Bestia Blancawhen the Frankfurters were feared because of their brilliant appearance in the Europa League in the (at least at the beginning) radiantly clean jerseys, does not exist anymore.

For the campaign that is now beginning in the even more important Champions League, Eintracht decided to appear in a different guise: Coach Oliver Glasner’s team will kick off this Wednesday (6.45 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the Champions League and on DAZN). from Group D against Sporting Lisbon, in an all-black fabric.

The PR strategists of the sponsor and the club felt less committed to the memories of the “white beast’s” glory days and more driven in their marketing intentions by the hope of additional sales from modified shirts. In any case, the fan shop in the arena was very busy beforehand, as the employees had their hands full stocking the shelves in such a way that nothing stood in the way of smooth sales in the hours before kick-off.

Oliver Glasner: “A Reward”

The day before the overture, preparations were made everywhere on the grounds in the city forest. While Glasner, the coaching staff and some of the players arrived on their bikes at the practice field, which was bathed in sunshine, tradesmen were busy all around putting foil over advertising posters that have nothing to do with UEFA’s sponsors. For the first time ever, the Champions League anthem will be played in Frankfurt against the ninth-placed team in the Primeira Liga.

“Now is the best time of the year,” said Glasner. He spoke of “a reward” for achieving goals last season, which he described as “extraordinary”, but now there is another “upgrade” ahead, as the 48-year-old added. The Austrian has already qualified three times in the course of his coaching career for the most important competition in European club football, but for the first time he is experiencing the festival directly; He said goodbye to both Linzer ASK and VfL Wolfsburg after qualifying.

Glasner’s days are far from over in Frankfurt, he wants to achieve further respectable successes. That’s why he warned, despite all the “anticipation” for the certainly atmospheric atmosphere, not to lose sight of the essentials: “It depends on our tasks on the field and not on the lyrics of the anthem.”

15 million euros for group stage

112 days after the crowning achievement in the Europa League in Seville, Eintracht is entering economically extremely attractive territory that seemed unattainable for a long time. 15 million euros are already guaranteed for participation in the group phase, whereby the sum with bonuses and TV income can easily triple in the further course. Tempting prospects!

Especially since the Losfee didn’t mean badly with the Hessians. Tottenham are widely believed to be favorites of the four sides, two of whom will progress to the knockout stages, but Marseille and Sporting count – especially if Eintracht achieve their potential as they did in the Bundesliga 4-0 win over Leipzig – as conquerable. For the third in the group, admission to the Europa League beckons as a consolation prize, only those who are fourth at the beginning of November will get nothing.

“We want to achieve something,” said Djibril Sow aggressively and formulated the project more specifically in the same breath: “It’s about representing the club with dignity. We want to continue our football, with which we have earned respect, and we are at a level that is one or two levels higher,” said the Swiss international, who is preparing for another career highlight: “It will be a It will be a goosebump moment,” said the 25-year-old, “we want to use the energy that we have to make the spectators happy.”

He himself is placed in defensive midfield. Captain Sebastian Rode is out with a thigh muscle injury but Glasner says he may be an option again next week in Marseille. Sow’s eagerness to work has stood out for a long time. In terms of running, he has been one of the best since joining Eintracht in 2019. In the meantime, however, he is also convincing as a pacesetter and a shrewd duel in front of the defensive chain.

“Anyone who follows our training sees what we invest,” said Sow. “We also go beyond borders, and that’s an advantage for us in the game: we have power right up to the end.” The “good relationship” with the coach has a lot to do with his convincing performance, explained Sow. He was happy to “take these steps together” under Glasner’s direction.

This is one of the reasons why he recently decided against offers from the Premier League; both Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace wanted to lure him to the island with a lot of money. Sow declined with thanks because he “feels totally comfortable” with Eintracht, as he emphasized, and his gut feeling signaled to him that the positive development would continue: “On our way, the upper limits are not set.” He and Eintracht trusted in any case also in the Champions League “far too” – the increased expectations can hardly be articulated more succinctly.