Since the fans have been back in the curve, Eintracht Frankfurt has regularly gotten the lid on in their home arena. The home record is devastating, coach Oliver Glasner finds it funny and searches in vain for the reasons.
At the very end the press conference before the home game between Eintracht Frankfurt and Union Berlin (Saturday, 3.30 p.m.) coach Oliver Glasner chatted a little more on Thursday. During the international break, he occasionally grabbed one of his players for a short chat and kept talking about the same topic. “We talked about how the players feel about it,” said Glasner. With “that” he meant the blatant home weakness of Eintracht.
Things went well during Corona
After the Hessians had only finished 16th in the Bundesliga home table last season, the trend is continuing this season. In five home games across all competitions, there was only one win and all three were lost. “It’s almost funny,” Glasner summarized the Frankfurt home curse in view of the loud support from the ranks. The twelfth man is stronger than in other stadiums. The problem: It doesn’t seem to help. On the contrary.
“The funniest thing about it is,” Glasner continued: “Eintracht was weak at home before Corona, while Corona was strong at home and then weak at home again.” In the 2020/21 season, which was largely played in front of empty stands, Eintracht finished second in the home table. The Hessians even remained unbeaten in all 17 home games.
For comparison: In 2022, the fans in the Frankfurt stadium were only able to celebrate one Bundesliga victory since the Return of the active fan scene in early April even one (4-0 against RB Leipzig). Added to that Europa League semi-final win against West Ham. Strange. But why is that?
Glasner uses psychology
“It’s not that easy to say: Zack, that’s it,” Glasner explained the result of his reflections and dialogues with the Frankfurt pros. But it is noticeable that his team does not play so freely in front of their home crowd. In contrast to games abroad, the expectations are apparently too high. “If it’s not 3-0 after half an hour, everyone thinks: ‘What’s going on today?'” said Glasner. So is the pressure from your own fans too great? Is unity broken by one’s own claims?
That also appears in view of the Performances in Barcelonaat the Europa League final in Seville or the Victory at Olympique Marseille rather atypical at first glance. “We play in front of 50,000 great fans with less courage than in front of 60,000 fans in Marseille. It’s psychologically inexplicable,” said Glasner, who therefore initially relies on the blinkered principle and remains calm. “We have to focus on football and ignore everything else.” Well, if that’s all it is.
It remains a mystery
Glasner confirmed when asked that he would not try crazy things to defeat the curse. Change hotel, swap benches, take a detour by bus. He doesn’t want to do any of that. “We can bring 50,000 Union fans here, then we have an away game,” joked Glasner. “But I don’t know if so many are really coming.” The reasons and solutions for the Frankfurt home weakness are therefore still being sought.
