Wants to stay at SGE for the next 10 years
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Dino Toppmöller has been the coach of Eintracht Frankfurt since July 1, 2023, making him the third longest-serving Bundesliga coach. If the 45-year-old, who is under contract until 2028, has his way, he will continue to climb these statistics. “If you were to tell me now that I would be the coach here for the next ten years, my answer would be: Okay, let’s do it. But football remains fast-moving, long-term forecasts are simply difficult,” said Toppmöller in an interview with “Kicker”.
Since he took office, the SBU’s squad value has increased from 277 million to 384 million euros. Toppmöller helped players like Omar Marmoush (Man City) and Hugo Ekitiké (Liverpool) make their breakthrough and thus also ensured high transfer income. “When I leave at some point, I want the club to be even better positioned. The Champions League offers incredible added value, not just financially. The young players can prove themselves at the highest level on this platform. This increases their market value and also arouses the interest of other young players in Eintracht,” said Toppmöller.
Toppmöller: “I want players to feel like I’m putting myself in front of them”
In his first season he led the SGE to 6th place, in the second to 3rd place and thus secured the Eagles their second participation in the premier class. There they experienced a rollercoaster ride on the first three matchdays against top-class opponents: a 5-1 win against Galatasaray was followed by two 1-5 defeats against Atlético Madrid and Liverpool FC. “When you concede five goals against Atletico and Liverpool, it does something to a player. I advised the boys: ‘Don’t compare yourself to this world class team yet, otherwise you’ll lose the joy and the fun.’ This is an important learning.” This was followed by a 0-0 draw in Naples – on November 26th we will face the struggling Atalanta in front of the home fans.
Even after the flood of goals conceded in September and October, when the SGE conceded 23 goals in six games, Toppmöller remained quiet in the media. “I want the players to have the feeling that I’m protecting them and not trying to make a name for themselves in public by criticizing them. In my opinion, there are also negative examples in the industry. Our players know exactly what we ask of the coaching team. And if I have the feeling that criticism is justified, I say that clearly. But internally. After the 5-1 defeat against Liverpool, I was asked whether I had hit it. In my opinion, that would have been the wrong approach at that moment. This Players ensured that such a well-known opponent came to the Champions League in the first place.”
Toppmöller about Wahi: “Offer assistance, every player has to go through the door themselves”
Center forward Elye Wahi contributed to Eintracht’s success to a manageable extent. The 22-year-old Frenchman came from Olympique Marseille last January for a fee of 26 million euros as a replacement for Marmoush – Wahi is the second most expensive SGE transfer in the club’s history and the most expensive player in the squad. His record: one goal in 23 games. He scored his only goal in the DFB Cup in a 5-0 win against fifth division team FV Engers 07.
Toppmöller says: “Unfortunately, he hasn’t exactly been lucky so far. But I do believe that the pendulum could swing more in his direction if he were to invest even more and show even greater greed. We offer help, but in the end every player has to go through the door himself. I am still convinced that Elye can still be important for us.”
He also thought that would be the case for Mahmoud Dahoud, who played no role for a long time this season and had his market value devalued for the fifth time in a row in October – this time from 3.5 million to 2 million euros. Toppmöller said before the recent 4-3 win in Cologne: “Mo pushed himself in training and will definitely play more in the next few weeks. He never let himself down, but worked hard.” The midfielder was in the starting line-up against FC and scored his first goal for Eintracht in over a year.
When asked whether the SGE wants to be active in the transfer market given the release of Ellyes Skhiri and Farès Chaïbi for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (December 21st – January 18th), the coach said: “We can’t make a transfer based on assumptions about how Fares and Ellyes will return from the tournament. Fares in particular has made a very good development in the deeper position in midfield. And Hugo Larsson will be following his lead Injury break is also important for us. A player for the six is therefore not a priority for me at the moment.
Most recently, the Frankfurters were linked in the rumor mill with defensive midfielders Kaishu Sano (Mainz), Vitaly Janelt (Brentford) and Kennet Eichhorn (Hertha). Larsson, Eintracht’s second most valuable player with a market value of 40 million euros, is expected back in December – he has a new competitor in Dahoud.