What a dramaturgy, what a final punchline. What would it be like if every matchday was matchday 34? Goals, dramas, twists and turns – all this on a Saturday afternoon. Not only in Dortmund and Cologne, where the championship was again decided in favor of Bayern, but also in Frankfurt. As so often in the past, they have made it again at the last minute.
Ralf Weitbrecht
Sports editor.
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Back in Europe. Participation in the Conference League can no longer be taken away from Eintracht. But the team of outgoing coach Oliver Glasner wants more. They also want to win the DFB-Pokal and thus draw the big ticket of the year against RB Leipzig next Saturday (20.00 CET in the F.A.Z. live ticker for the DFB-Pokal, on ZDF and on Sky) in Berlin's Olympic Stadium.
At the end of the season in the core business of the Bundesliga, "we pulled it on the last groove". Board spokesman Axel Hellmann was greatly relieved that the last-minute victory over Sportclub Freiburg provided positive clarity. Glasner's squad actually managed to jump from eighth to seventh place in the standings. This required the help of Hertha BSC, as the relegated team won at VfL Wolfsburg.
"The big gate for Glasner"
The fact that Eintracht, who were already 0-1 down, were able to create collective happiness on the pitch and in the stands thanks to substitute Eric Junior Dina Ebimbe was the fruit of a final show of strength. "In the 72nd minute, everyone got up on the back straight and pushed us enormously," said Hellmann, who is certain: "In terms of atmosphere, the day today gives you rocket propulsion. It's also certain that Oliver Glasner will go through the big goal." Hellmann described what could follow in the ultimate showdown in Berlin against Leipzig as follows: "Everything now is cherry on cake."
It took a long, very long time, for the team and coaching staff to make their way to the catacombs of the sold-out Frankfurt Arena after the last game. Again and again, the fans in the Nordwestkurve sang new songs. "We dance the Eintracht Frankfurt waltz. Eintracht Frankfurt international." And, of course, for the occasion: "Berlin, Berlin, we're going to Berlin."
Yes, that's what the team and with it a huge bunch of accompanying persons will do. Glasner has given his players two days off in a row, just in time for Pentecost. During the hard-fought game against the sports club, Glasner, like his Freiburg colleague Christian Streich, looked at the video cube high above the centre circle from time to time. Fade-ins of new scores on the other courts, each announced with a huge gong beat, caused feelings of various kinds.
"We played well," Glasner said in his analysis, "but we didn't have any chances. Then came the news that Hertha was leading. The stadium was there, faith was back," said the Austrian football coach, who was reminded of the saying "faith moves mountains". And then? "Then, of course, we went all in, and after the 1-1 draw I had the feeling that we could still win."
Congratulations from Streich
Goalscorer Ebimbe, who came on as a substitute in the second half, later spoke of "difficulties, because there was a break after the World Cup break. But the way we turned it around on the home straight shows the character of this team," said the Frenchman. "I would almost call it an Eintracht DNA."
As expected, Streich turned out to be a fair loser. Before the Freiburg coach spoke about the 1-2 defeat that caused his team to miss out on a possible place in the Champions League, he sent plenty of congratulations to champions Bayern, to the "sensational" fourth Union Berlin - and of course to his colleague Glasner, who was sitting next to him on the podium. People know and appreciate each other, and of course Streich wished Eintracht and Glasner only the best for Berlin.
He justified the fact that his Freiburg team could not bring the interim 1-0 over time as follows: "We lacked the strength." Sportclub keeper Mark Flekken was powerless against the two Frankfurt goal scorers Randal Kolo Muani (83rd minute) and Ebimbe (90+1) as well as Kevin Trapp on the Frankfurt side with the Freiburg opening goal by Vincenzo Grifo (44th).
For Trapp, the penultimate competitive game of the 2022/2023 season was a very special one. Since 27 May, Trapp has been the record goalkeeper for Eintracht Frankfurt. With his 235th assignment, he passed the holding dentist Dr. Peter Kunter. Glasner praised Trapp for his "attitude, character, performance and personality".
"I'm not done yet"
In general, there have been many wonderful moments for the outgoing Eintracht coach at the venue, which has grown dear to his heart over the past two years. He did not (yet) want to follow the request of the fans to make the "diver" as he did recently in Stuttgart in the DFB Cup semi-final victory in Stuttgart. "I'll do the Diver if we win the trophy," Glasner promised. "Pants and camisoles then go to the museum."
But we haven't reached that point yet. "We're not done yet," said the Eintracht coach. "And I'm not done yet, either. I want to come back to Frankfurt with the trophy."