Has SGE “impressed” in discussions
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Eintracht Frankfurt has presented a successor to the released head coach Dino Toppmöller. The Spaniard Albert Riera comes from the Slovenian first division club NK Celje and takes over the position for the Hessians. He has a contract until June 2028. In addition to the 43-year-old, his assistants Pablo Remon Arteta and Lorenzo Dolcetti are also moving to the Main.
On Sunday, Riera will be on the sidelines as Celje head coach for the last time at his own request, Eintracht announced. He is expected in Frankfurt at the beginning of the week. According to “Sky”, a transfer fee of 700,000 euros is due, which could grow to up to one million euros if successful. Marco Rose, Alexander Blessin and Edin Terzic – many well-known names in Germany were traded in Eintracht Frankfurt’s coaching search. But less common options like Kjetil Knutsen (FK Bodø/Glimt) and Jacob Neestrup (FC Copenhagen) were also considered candidates.
SGE sports director Markus Krösche said after completing the search for a coach: “With Albert Riera, we consciously chose a coach who stands for modern, intensive and offensive football. He has international experience, a clear game idea and an equally clear approach in the daily work with the team. Albert impressed us in the discussions with his professional depth and his good communication. We have been following his development for a very long time and are therefore convinced that his skills in the current situation and in the future will be well suited to the requirements of “We want to harmonize Eintracht Frankfurt and he also fits in very well with the club and our team as a person.”
Riera, whose full name is Albert Riera Ortega, was born in Manacor on Mallorca. In addition to Spanish, he also has Russian citizenship because his wife is from Russia and he lived in Tomsk with his family for a few years after his career ended. As a Mallorcan, he took his first steps as a player at RCD Mallorca before moving abroad for the first time at the age of 21 and signing for Girondins Bordeaux in France. He stayed there for two years, but then returned to his homeland and played for Espanyol Barcelona. With 94, he played the most games in his active career for the Catalans.
Eintracht Frankfurt will also be looked after by interim coaches Dennis Schmitt and Alexander Meier in the upcoming Bundesliga game against Bayer Leverkusen.
