Nothing has changed for Oliver Glasner. Except: "I quit my apartment." Ten days ago, Eintracht Frankfurt announced that they would part ways with their coach after the season, one year before his contract expires. The sporting management hoped that it would be easier for the team to focus on the essentials in the final spurt of the season.
Peter Hess
Sports editor.
- Follow I follow
And indeed, Eintracht promptly won 3-0 against Mainz after ten winless Bundesliga games. On Thursday, however, Glasner denied that the scheduling of his retirement in Frankfurt had any influence on his cooperation with the professionals.
In any case, his commitment to Eintracht does not suffer from the fact that the end is in sight. "The city, the team and the fans deserve 100 percent Glasner until the end. I feel obliged to do so." That's why he doesn't feel melancholy yet. "It's not yet the time to look back," said the outgoing coach on Thursday, two days before the start of his final trilogy in Frankfurt at relegation candidates Schalke 04 this Saturday (15.30 CET in the F.A.Z. live ticker for the Bundesliga and on Sky).
Affection and respect
This dispute is to be won in the same way as the last Bundesliga game against SC Freiburg and the cup final against RB Leipzig. If Eintracht skipped this three-way combination, Glasner's farewell would be an honourable one.
The fans are already continuing to show him affection and respect, although the big goals for the season, which already seem within reach, have slipped out of his hands for the time being. But on social media and in personal encounters, Glasner is not blamed for this. "I get a lot of encouragement when I meet fans in the city while shopping," said the Austrian.
"It's best to have made a very good impression not only in terms of athletic work, but also on your human appearance. But it's not yet time to be wistful."
First of all, Schalke and Freiburg must be beaten. "Then we'll finish with 52 points and we'll have to see what that's enough for." To get to Europe, Leverkusen or Wolfsburg have to be overtaken. Which will be difficult not only because of the points deficit, but also because of the worse goal differences.
No rotation
That's why he won't let his team play Schalke in a particularly offensive or risk-taking manner: "We actually try to score as many goals as possible in every game. That doesn't always work. We don't go out on the pitch with the attitude of wanting to win 6-0. Then everything is open at the back. We're not going to change the playground."
There is also no rotation in terms of personnel. Everyone who impressed in the 3-0 win against Mainz is fit. In addition, Borré returns to the squad after his suspension. Jesper Lindstrøm is also available again during the week after a short illness, but is considered more of a candidate for the substitutes' bench. Philipp Max will only be fit to play against Freiburg after recovering from injury.
Glasner expects an "emotional and intense game" against Schalke. They need to win as much as we do." The Austrian describes with great respect the energy performance of Schalke, after a completely botched preliminary round, to have made the connection again and to be able to avoid relegation on their own. "Especially at home, they scored very reliably."
The tactic here is not to give the opponent a breather. "They play man-to-man almost all over the pitch, there is never rest, they entangle you everywhere in duels and immediately play into the top when you win the ball," Glasner describes. Eintracht won the first leg 3-0, but "it could have ended differently.
Schalke had 19 shots on goal, which shows how difficult they are to defend," Glasner recalls. What can reassure him: Against Mainz, who maintain a similar playing system, Eintracht found the antidote last Saturday. "But also because the leadership has given us security," Glasner said on Thursday. For some time now, he has come to the realization that many fundamental assessments depend only on the efficiency of scoring goals.