Before the mega party in Frankfurt, the players had turned night into day after winning the penalty 5: 4 drama against the Scottish runners-up. “It was merry and lively and went on until six in the morning,” reported CEO Axel Hellmann after landing in Frankfurt from the lavish victory celebrations in a posh club in the southern Spanish metropolis.
Even the otherwise so calm Glasner – who hardly let the trophy out of his hand during the motorcade through the city – mutated into a party beast. “I let the pig out and party until Saturday – and on Sunday I’m going on vacation,” announced the 47-year-old soccer teacher from Austria.
Eintracht heroes speechless
After winning the UEFA Cup 42 years ago, the Eintracht pros felt like they were in a fairy tale after winning the second international title in the club’s history – in addition to the massive trophy, they also secured their first-ever participation in the Champions League. A sporting and financial quantum leap for the traditional club, which a few years ago was called the “moody diva of the Main”. “It will take a few years before you realize the scope,” said Rode, who was suffering from a head wound. And Kevin Trapp emphasized: “We have always looked for superlatives, but there is simply no word to describe it.”
The national goalkeeper was one of the heroes of the dramatic final. The 31-year-old first saved his team with a monster save just before the end of extra time in the penalty shoot-out, where he then saved Aaron Ramsey’s attempt. Then there was extra praise from national coach Hansi Flick. “Kevin showed a great and outstanding performance.”
After Rafael Borré coldly converted the last penalty to 5: 4, pure ecstasy reigned – also in the stands of the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán and at home, where almost 60,000 fans in and around the Frankfurt stadium had their fingers crossed at the public viewing .
The success, which almost nine million people watched in front of their TV sets, was the culmination of a rapid development in recent years. In 2017, the Hessians lost the DFB Cup final against Borussia Dortmund, in which they triumphed against Bayern Munich a year later. In 2019, they reached the semi-finals of the Europa League and now they have had great success with an impeccable record: Eintracht did not lose a single one of 13 games.
“The Eintracht Frankfurt brand has already become international in recent years, and now it has gained even more appeal. Eintracht is a role model for many clubs, not just in Germany,” said DFB director Oliver Bierhoff in recognition of the fruitful work on the Main.
Gained an international reputation
With their appearance in Europe, the Hessians also gave the Bundesliga international renown. After all, the last German title win in this competition was 25 years ago. “This is an outstanding success for Eintracht Frankfurt and also for German football,” said Hans-Joachim Watzke, chairman of the supervisory board of the German Football League and managing director of runners-up Borussia Dortmund. “All I can say is: Welcome to the Champions League.”