After the 2-2 draw against TSG 1899 Hoffenheim at the weekend, it is clear that Eintracht Frankfurt is no longer about anything big in the Bundesliga: Relegation is done, the top six are out of reach. It is clear that the focus is therefore all the more on the upcoming semi-finals in the Europa League against West Ham United.
The first leg of the Europa League semi-finals is scheduled for next Thursday in London. The next big highlight for the Hessians after the European Cup sensation a round earlier against FC Barcelona.
“As the person responsible, I can say: Barcelona was the much-cited game of the century, in every respect. And it has changed the perception of Eintracht Frankfurt, especially internationally,” emphasized Philip Holzer, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Eintracht Frankfurt, to the “kicker”.
According to the 56-year-old, such a success in the Europa League is more worthwhile and lucrative from a Frankfurt perspective than a one-off entry into the group stage of the Champions League: “Yes, I say so,” emphasized Holzer, who has been a member of the Supervisory Board of the traditional association.
Eintracht boss: Europa League is as valuable to us as the Champions League
Holzer made the comparison: “Sure: If I win six group games in the Champions League like Bayern Munich and finish first in the group, I’ll have a plus of 45 million euros from six Champions League games. But our chances in this regard would not be that high “In the Europa League, on the other hand, we can achieve very good results and finish first in the group. Extrapolated from our perspective, a semi-final appearance in the Europa League is as valuable as qualifying for the Champions League group stage.”
From a sporting point of view, Holzer warned of the great strengths of upcoming opponents West Ham United. According to him, the seventh-placed in the English Premier League will be “much, much more difficult than Barcelona”.
Holzer explained: “Because I don’t think Barcelona expected us to be that strong. It’s a big game for West Ham too. Their last title was the FA Cup win in 1980. After that they had a history of many appearances and Abs, there are many parallels to us.”