Eintracht Frankfurt’s footballers start the new season at the weekend. Before the first game on Friday evening against Essen, the goals are clear: in the end just not in third place.
After a large upheaval, the footballers of Eintracht Frankfurt want to attack the top of the Bundesliga in the season that started this weekend. “We were third in a row and finally failed to secure second place,” says the new captain Laura Freikang before the opening game this Friday (6.30 p.m.) against the SGS Essen. “But we are very serious about fighting ourselves up.”
For this, the squad was changed by coach Niko Arnautis. Ten new additions face eleven departures. That regular players like Sara Doorsoun,, Lara Prasnikar (both USA), Barbara Dunst (Bayern Munich), Sophia Kleinhernen and in the gate Stina Johannes (Both VfL Wolfsburg) were underneath, had caused unrest in the area. Especially since Arnautis had repeatedly pointed out in recent years that one of the strengths of the formation was that larger parts of them have been playing together for many years and the team had grown together.
Frankfurt wants to “write new chapters”
The technical director Katharina Kiel justifies the transfers by the time being “writing a new chapter”. Last season, Eintracht had played its title chance in the second half of the season as a autumn champion and ended up second place with just one point behind VfL Wolfsburg. “We wondered what it takes to successfully make crucial games,” reports Kiel.
Apparently, the previous troop was no longer trusted the next step without new impulses. “We have always talked about a time when we have to create a new foundation in order to be sustainable and to put on a shovel,” adds Arnautis. That has now been offered, also because some changes had been at home.
A mix of experience and potential
In addition, Eintracht pursues the same philosophy in women as in men: to earn money about high replacement so that the footballers can finance themselves at some point and do not remain a subsidy business.
The Swedish international Amanda Ilestedt and Rebecka Blomqvistthe Australian World Cup participant Hayley Raso or the one coming from Hoffenheim Ereleta Memeti – but also younger talents like the 18 -year -old Swiss Noemi Ivelj.
“I have the feeling that everyone who has been added fit into the team very well in football and human,” says Freiang, who took over the captain’s armband from Tanja Pawollek, who was migrating to promoted Union Berlin. The integration went surprisingly quickly. “What we need now are challenges that we can grow on.”
First eat, then Real Madrid
They are just around the corner: After the Bundesliga start in the stadium at the BrentanoBad, Eintracht will follow on September 11th The home game in the Champions League qualification against Real Madrid And on the 14th of the first away game at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. By participating in three competitions and the increase in the league from twelve to 14 teams, they have almost only English weeks by Christmas, explains Arnautis. The new selection offers him enough alternatives for necessary change in the different positions and in the system.
“Hungry” and “greedy” is that the season finally starts. 1,500 season tickets sold and thus a new record number certify that the fans also want the fans. The minimum goal is to secure participation in international competition for the next season. But free -handing emphasizes: “I trust us to continue.”
