Eintracht Frankfurt
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| Full name | Eintracht Frankfurt e.V. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) |
Die Adler (The Eagles), SGE (Sportgemeinde Eintracht), Launische Diva (Moody Diva) | |||
| Founded | 8 March 1899 | |||
| Ground | Commerzbank-Arena | |||
| Capacity | 51,500 | |||
| Chairman |
Peter Fischer (club) Heribert Bruchhagen (plc) | |||
| Manager | Armin Veh | |||
| League | Bundesliga | |||
| 2014–15 | 9th | |||
| Website | Club home page | |||
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Eintracht Frankfurt e.V. (German pronunciation: [ˈʔaɪ̯ntʁaxt ˈfʁaŋkfʊɐt]) is a German sports club based in Frankfurt, Hesse, that is best known for its association football club, currently playing in the Bundesliga, the top tier of the German football league system.
The club was founded in 1899 and have won one German championship, four DFB-Pokals and one UEFA Cup. Since 1925, their stadium has been the Waldstadion, which since 1 July 2005, has been called Commerzbank-Arena for sponsorship reasons.
History
Club origins
The origins of the side go back to a pair of football clubs founded in 1899: Frankfurter Fußball-Club Viktoria von 1899 – regarded as the "original" football side in the club's history – and Frankfurter Fußball-Club Kickers von 1899. Both clubs were founding members of the new Nordkreis-Liga in 1909. These two teams merged in May 1911 to become Frankfurter Fußball Verein (Kickers-Viktoria), an instant success, taking three league titles from 1912 to 1914 in the Nordkreis-Liga and qualifying for the Southern German championship in each of those seasons. In turn, Frankfurter FV joined the gymnastics club Frankfurter Turngemeinde von 1861 to form TuS Eintracht Frankfurt von 1861 in 1920. (The German word Eintracht means 'harmony, concord,' and Eintracht X is the equivalent of English X United in the names of sports teams.[1])
Pre-Bundesliga history
At the time, sports in Germany was dominated by nationalistic gymnastics organizations, and under pressure from that sport's governing authority, the gymnasts and footballers went their separate ways again in 1927, as Turngemeinde Eintracht Frankfurt von 1861 and Sportgemeinde Eintracht Frankfurt (FFV) von 1899.
Through the late 1920s and into the 1930s, Eintracht won a handful of local and regional championships, first in the Kreisliga Nordmain, then in the Bezirksliga Main and Bezirksliga Main-Hessen. After being eliminated from the national level playoffs after quarterfinal losses in 1930 and 1931, they won their way to the final in 1932 where they were beaten 0–2 by Bayern Munich, who claimed their first ever German championship. In 1933, German football was re-organized into sixteen Gauligen under the Third Reich and the club played first division football in the Gauliga Südwest, consistently finishing in the upper half of the table and winning their division in 1938.
Eintracht picked up where they left off after World War II, playing as a solid side in the first division Oberliga Süd and capturing division titles in 1953 and 1959. Their biggest success came on the heels of that second divisional title as they went on to a 5–3 victory over local rivals Kickers Offenbach to take the 1959 German national title and followed up immediately with an outstanding run in the 1960 European Cup. Eintracht lost 3–7 to Real Madrid in an exciting final that was widely regarded as one of the best football matches ever played,[2] which included a hat-trick by Alfredo Di Stéfano.
Founding member of the Bundesliga
The side continued to play good football and earned themselves a place as one of the original 16 teams selected to play in the Bundesliga, Germany's new professional football league, formed in 1963. Eintracht played Bundesliga football for 33 seasons, finishing in the top half of the table for the majority of them. Their best Bundesliga performances were five third-place finishes: they ended just two points back of champion VfB Stuttgart in 1991–92.
The team also narrowly avoided relegation on several occasions. In 1984, they defeated MSV Duisburg 6–1 on aggregate, and in 1989 they beat 1. FC Saarbrücken 4–1 on aggregate, in two-game playoffs. Eintracht finally slipped and were relegated to 2.Bundesliga for the 1996–97 season. At the time that they were sent down alongside 1. FC Kaiserslautern, these teams were two of only four sides that had been in the Bundesliga since the league's inaugural season.
It looked as though they would be out again in 1998–99, but they pulled through by beating defending champions Kaiserslautern 5–1, while 1. FC Nuremberg unexpectedly lost at home to give Eintracht the break they needed to stay up. The following year, in another struggle to avoid relegation, the club was "fined" two points by the DFB (Deutscher Fußball-Bund, or German Football Association) for financial misdeeds, but pulled through with a win by a late goal over SSV Ulm on the last day of the season. The club was plagued by financial difficulties again in 2004 before once more being relegated.
Between 1997 and 2005, Eintracht has bounced between the top two divisions.
The 2010–11 season ended with the club's fourth Bundesliga relegation. After setting a new record for most points in the first half of the season, the club struggled after the winter break. After seven games without scoring a goal, coach Michael Skibbe was doubted, and despite the team winning the next game, Skibbe was sacked and replaced with Christoph Daum.[3] The change, however, did little to change Eintracht's fortunes, as the club achieved only three draws out of the last seven games and were subsequently relegated on the 34th matchday.[4]
One year later, Eintracht defeated Alemannia Aachen 3–0 on the 32nd match day of the 2011–12 season, thus qualifying for the Bundesliga.[5]
In 2014–15, Eintracht had the 16th highest attendance in Europe, ahead of such prominent clubs as Celtic, Internazionale and Paris Saint-Germain.
Success outside the Bundesliga
The club has enjoyed considerable success in competition outside the Bundesliga. Eintracht famously lost the European Cup final to Real Madrid on 18 May 1960 at Hampden Park 7–3 in front of 127,621 spectators. It is one of the most talked about European matches of all time, with Alfredo Di Stéfano scoring three and Ferenc Puskás scoring the other four in Real's victory.
In 1967, Eintracht won the Intertoto Cup after beating Inter Bratislava in the final.
Eintracht won the German Cup in 1974, 1975, 1981 and 1988, and took the UEFA Cup over another German team, Borussia Mönchengladbach, in 1980. More recently, Eintracht were the losing finalists in the 2006 German Cup. Their opponents in the final, that year's Bundesliga champions Bayern, previously qualified to participate in the Champions League. As a result Eintracht, received the Cup winner's place in the UEFA Cup, where they advanced to the group stage.
Besides playing friendlies against famous clubs from all of the world, Eintracht also played friendly matches against national teams from the following countries: Argentina, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Columbia, Czechoslovakia, Egypt, France, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Kenia, Kosovo, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Malaya, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, South Korea, Tunisia and Vietnam.
Colours, crest and nicknames
The club crest derives from the coat of arms of Frankfurt am Main, which is a reference to the one-headed imperial eagle of the 13th century.
The crest has evolved slowly over time, showing little significant change until 1980 when a stylized eagle in black and white was chosen to represent the team. In Eintracht's centennial year of 1999, the club board decided to re-adopt a more traditional eagle crest. Since 2006, Eintracht has had a living mascot, the golden eagle Attila from the nearby Hanau Zoo, who is very popular among supporters.
The official club colours of red, black, and white have their origins in the colours of the founding clubs Frankfurter FC Viktoria and Frankfurter FC Kickers, which sported red and white and black and white respectively. Red and white are the colours of the city coat of arms, and black and white the colours of Prussia. When the clubs merged, officials decided to adopt the colours of both sides. Since local rival Kickers Offenbach sport the colours red and white, Eintracht avoids playing in such a kit, preferring to play in black and red, or in black and white.
The club is nicknamed "Die Adler" ("The Eagles"), which derives from their crest. A nickname still popular among supporters is SGE, taken from the club's old official name Sportgemeinde Eintracht (Frankfurt), roughly translated to "Sports community United."
The nickname Launische Diva ("Moody Diva") was heard most often in the early 1990s when the club would comfortably defeat top teams only to surprisingly lose to lesser clubs. This nickname was also held to refer to the what was regarded as the dubious work of some club chairmen, including for example, the failure to record the transfer fee of Hungarian star player Lajos Détári on club books. The current reign of Heribert Bruchhagen appears to have left these practises to the past.
Honours
National
International
- European Cup/UEFA Champions League
- Runners-up: 1959–60
- UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League
- Winners (1): 1979–80
- UEFA Intertoto Cup
- Winners (1): 1967
- Coppa delle Alpi
- Winners (1): 1967
Regional
- Southern German Championship
- Nordkreis-Liga
- Champions: 1911–12+, 1912–13+, 1913–14+
- Kreisliga Nordmain
- Winners: 1919–20+, 1920–21
- Runners-up: 1921–22
- Bezirksliga Main-Hessen:
- Winners: 1927–28, 1928–29, 1929–30, 1930–31, 1931–32
- Runners-up: 1932–33
- Gauliga Südwest/Mainhessen:
- Winners: 1937–38
- Runners-up: 1936–37
- Hesse Cup:
- Winners: 1946, 1969*
- Runners-up: 1949
- Hesse Championship:
- Champions: 1970*, 2002*
- Runners-up: 1978*, 1983*, 1995*
- + As Frankfurter FV
- * Achieved by Reserve Team
Minor
- Fuji-Cup:
- Winners: 1992
- Runners-up: 1994
- Antalya Cup:
- Winners: 2011
- Frankfurt Main Finance Cup:
- Winners: 2014, 2015
Youth
- German Under 19 championship
- Champions: 1982, 1983, 1985
- Runners-up: 1987
- German Under 17 championship
- Champions: 1977, 1980, 1991, 2010
- Runners-up: 1981, 1982
- Southern German Under 15 championship
- Champions: 1980, 1989, 1995, 2005, 2014
- Runners-up: 2011, 2013, 2015
League results
Recent seasons
All time
Green denotes the highest level of football in Germany; yellow the second highest.
Players
Current squad
- As of 2 February 2016.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Players out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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World Cup Winners while signed at Frankfurt
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Alfred Pfaff (1949–61)
- Jürgen Grabowski (1965–80)
- Bernd Hölzenbein (1967–81)
- Uwe Bein (1989–94)
Other World Cup Winners who played in Frankfurt
- Toni Turek (1946–47)
- Thomas Berthold (1982–87)
- Andreas Köpke (1994–96)
- Andreas Möller (1985–87), (1990–92), (2003–04)
- Joachim Löw (1981–82)
Medal winners at Summer Olympics
Gold
Summer Olympics 1996 – Nigeria
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Jay-Jay Okocha (1992–96)
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Marco Fabián (2016–)
Bronze
Summer Olympics 1988 – Germany
- Ralf Sievers (1982–90)
Current club staff
| Manager | Armin Veh |
| Assistant manager | Reiner Geyer |
| Goalkeeping coach | Manfred Petz |
| Physiotherapist | Ralf Ochs Daniel Rung Maik Liesbrock |
| Custodian | Michael Fabacher |
| Fitness coach | Christian Kolodziej |
| Equipment manager |  Franco Lionti  Igor Simonov |
| Team doctor | Dr Christoph Seeger Dr Wulf Schwietzer |
| Academy manager | Karl-Heinz Körbel |
| Head Scouts | Bernd Hölzenbein Bernd Legien |
Club presidents
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Managers/head coaches
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Records
- Home victory, Bundesliga: 9–1 v Rot-Weiss Essen, 5 October 1974
- Away victory, Bundesliga: 8–1 v Rot-Weiss Essen, 7 May 1977
- Home loss, Bundesliga: 0–7 v Karlsruher SC, 19 September 1964
- Away loss, Bundesliga: 0–7 v 1. FC Köln, 29 October 1983
- Highest home attendance: 81,000 v FK Pirmasens, 23 May 1959
- Highest away attendance: 127,621 v Real Madrid, Hampden Park, Glasgow, 18 May 1960
- Highest average attendance, season: 48,324, 2007–2008
- Most appearances, all competitions total: 720, Karl-Heinz “Charly” Körbel 1972–1991
- Most appearances, Bundesliga: 602, Karl-Heinz “Charly” Körbel 1972–1991
- Most goals scored, total: 201, Bernd Hölzenbein 1967–1981
- Most goals scored, Bundesliga: 160, Bernd Hölzenbein 1967–1981
- Most goals scored, season, Bundesliga: 26, Bernd Hölzenbein, 1976/77
- Jürgen Friedl, (born 23 February 1959) was the youngest player ever to take to the field in a Bundesliga match at age 17 years and 26 days on 6 August 1975 before later being surpassed by Nuri Şahin of Borussia Dortmund.
- Richard Kress, (born 6 March 1925) is the oldest Bundesliga rookie, making his debut at 38 years and 171 days on the opening day of league play on 24 August 1963. He scored his first Bundesliga goal at 38 years and 248 days of age.
- Eintracht hold the record for most consecutive away games without a win (32) from 20 August 1985 to 25 August 1987. The club also holds the mark for early dismissal of its coach, with 20.
Recent top scorers
| Season | Player's name | Nationality | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010–11 | Theofanis Gekas |  Greece |
16 |
| 2011–12 | Alexander Meier | Germany |
17 |
| 2012–13 | Alexander Meier | Germany |
16 |
| 2013–14 | Joselu |  Spain |
9 |
| 2014–15 | Alexander Meier | Germany |
19 |
Stadium information
- Name: Commerzbank-Arena
- Location: Frankfurt am Main
- Capacity: 51,500 (48,500 seated)
- Inauguration: 21 May 1925
- Pitch Size: 105 x 68 metres
- Record Attendance: 81,000; Eintracht Frankfurt vs. FK Pirmasens, 23 May 1959
- Address: Commerzbank-Arena, Mörfelder Landstrasse 362, 60528 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Nickname: Waldstadion
The ground was inaugurated as Waldstadion ("Forest Stadium") in 1925 with the German championship final match between FSV Frankfurt vs. Nuremberg. The facility was renovated for the FIFA World Cup 2006 in Germany. For Bundesliga fixtures the maximum capacity is 51,500 as on the East Stand next to the visitor's terrace some spaces are held free for security purposes.
Though the media usually refer to the ground by the official name, Commerzbank-Arena, Eintracht faithful typically use the name Waldstadion.
Sponsoring
| Season | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor | Shirt sponsor value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974–75 | Adidas | Remington | €100,000 (estimated) |
| 1975–76 | Adidas / Admiral | ||
| 1976–77 | Admiral / Adidas | ||
| 1977–78 | Samson | €125,000 | |
| 1978–79 | Adidas / Erima | Minolta | €250,000 |
| 1979–80 | €275,000 | ||
| 1980–81 | €300,000 | ||
| 1981–82 | Infotec | €375,000 | |
| 1982–83 | Adidas | ||
| 1983–84 | €250,000 | ||
| 1984–85 | Portas | €300,000 | |
| 1985–86 | |||
| 1986–87 | Hoechst | €325,000 | |
| 1987–88 | Puma | ||
| 1988–89 | €350,000 | ||
| 1989–90 | |||
| 1990–91 | €350,000 – €500,000 | ||
| 1991–92 | Samsung | €1 million | |
| 1992–93 | |||
| 1993–94 | Tetra Pak | ||
| 1994–95 | |||
| 1995–96 | €1.25 million | ||
| 1996–97 | Mitsubishi Motors | €650,000 | |
| 1997–98 | |||
| 1998–99 | VIAG Interkom | €3 million | |
| 1999–00 | |||
| 2000–01 | Puma / Fila | Genion | |
| 2001–02 | Fila | Fraport | €1.5 million |
| 2002–03 | |||
| 2003–04 | Jako | €2.5 million | |
| 2004–05 | €2 million | ||
| 2005–06 | €2.5 million | ||
| 2006–07 | €4 million | ||
| 2007–08 | €4.5 million | ||
| 2008–09 | €5 million | ||
| 2009–10 | |||
| 2010–11 | |||
| 2011–12 | €3 million | ||
| 2012–13 | Krombacher | €5.5 million | |
| 2013–14 | Alfa Romeo | €6 million | |
| 2014–15 | Nike | ||
| 2015–16 |
Reserves team
Eintracht Frankfurt U23 was the reserve team of Eintracht Frankfurt. The team played as U23 (Under 23) to emphasize the character of the team as a link between the youth academy and professional team and competed until 2013–14 in the regular league system in the fourth tier, the Regionalliga Süd, until the club board decided to dissolve the team.
Frankfurt derby
The 2011–12 season saw Eintracht play local rival FSV Frankfurt in a league match for the first time in almost 50 years. The last league game between the two had been played on 27 January 1962, then in the Oberliga Süd. For the first of the two matches, FSV's home game on 21 August 2011, the decision was made to move to Eintracht's stadium as FSV's Bornheimer Hang only holds less than 11,000 spectators.[7] Eintracht won 0–4. The second match on 18 February 2012 ended in another victory for Eintracht, a 6–1 rout.
All-time results
| Date | Competition | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 March 1957 | DFB-Pokal Quarter Final | Waldstadion | | |||
| 21 August 2011 | 2. Fußball-Bundesliga | Waldstadion | | |||
| 18 February 2012 | 2. Fußball-Bundesliga | Waldstadion | |
See also
- Football in Germany
- 1959–60 European Cup
- 1960 European Cup Final
- 1979–80 UEFA Cup
- 1980 UEFA Cup Final
- List of Eintracht Frankfurt players
- List of Eintracht Frankfurt records and statistics
- Eintracht Frankfurt in European football
- Eintracht Frankfurt II
- Eintracht Frankfurt Rugby
Other sections within the club
The sports club Eintracht Frankfurt e.V. is made up of sixteen sections:
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1 Gymnastics (since 22 January 1861)
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6 Tennis (since spring 1920)
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11 Ice stock sport (since 9 December 1959)
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The most famous athlete of Eintracht Frankfurt is Betty Heidler, the hammer thrower world champion of 2007. Other Eintracht athletes include the 2008 Olympians Andrea Bunjes, Ariane Friedrich, Kamghe Gaba and Kathrin Klaas.
The club's rugby union section twice reached the final of the German rugby union championship, in 1940 and 1965.[8]
Within the football section, the sports club directly manages only the youth system and the reserve team. The professional footballers are managed as a separate limited corporation, Eintracht Frankfurt Fußball-AG, which is a subsidiary of the parent club.
References
- ↑ Harper Collins German Dictionary: German-English/English-German (Harpercollins, 1991; ISBN 0061002437), p. 203.
- ↑ "The great European Cup final of 1960 remembered". BBC. 19 May 2010.
- ↑ "Eintracht turn to Daum after Skibbe sacking". UEFA. 22 March 2011.
- ↑ "Dortmund condemn Eintracht to the drop". UEFA. 14 May 2011.
- ↑ FR-Online, Eintracht Frankfurt ist zurück in der 1. Liga, accessed 2012-05-02
- ↑ Unsere Eintracht – Eintracht Frankfurt – Die Chronik, Verlag Die Werkstatt, Göttingen, 2011, p. 236
- ↑ Das Frankfurter Derby elektrisiert (German) www.kicker.de, published: 21 August 2011, accessed: 21 August 2011
- ↑ Die Deutschen Meister der Männer DRV website – German rugby union finals, accessed: 29 December 2008
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Eintracht Frankfurt. |
- Official club website (German)+ (English)
- First official fansite (German)
- Official stadium website (German)+ (English)
- Eintracht Frankfurt statistics (English)
- Rugby section (German)
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