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Who is Eintracht Frankfurt?

Eintracht are the best known sports club in Frankfurt am Main. With their football section, Eintracht are one of the big traditional clubs within German football. The final era of successful title wins ended in the mid 1990s, when Eintracht had to fight for their economic and sportive survival.

In addition to their football division, Eintracht oversee 15 further sport sections. The club’s colours are red-black-white; their emblem being the golden eagle.

Bundesliga home games are held at Commerzbank Arena (formerly known as ‚Waldstadion’) in Frankfurt-Sachsenhausen, which was also host to some of the 2006 World Cup games (for example Brazil versus France). The club itself has its home in Riederwald where all their sport facilities are located. Right now, Riederwald is renovated and a new center for the youth players is built up.

Eintracht Frankfurt AG, a subsidiary of the club, are solely responsible for the professional football division and have their headquarters on the west side of Commerzbank Arena. This is also where training of the Bundesliga team takes place.

Fußball AG

The profit oriented professional football public company was founded on July 1, 2000 and is headed by a management board consisting of Heribert Bruchhagen (CEO), Dr.Thomas Pröckl and Klaus Lötzbeier.

The management board is overseen by the supervisory board, the representative of the owner (of the club) as well as the city and the state of Hessen and is headed by Herbert Becker.

All sport related issues are overseen by head coach Friedhelm Funkel, assistant coach Armin Reutershahn, goalkeeping coach Andreas Menger as well as the two talent scouts, Bernd Hölzenbein and Ralf Weber. The head of licensed player division is Rainer Falkenhain.

Eintracht Frankfurt Fussball AG also includes the Eintracht football school and a football academy managed by former team captain and Bundesliga record holder Karl-Heinz Körbel who played in 602 first league games in Germany during his career.

Verein (Club)

The Verein Eintracht Frankfurt e.V., composed of approximately 14.000 members (as of june 2008), Eintracht oversee 15 further sport sections: Gymnastics, Football, Track and Field (Athletics), Hockey, Boxing, Tennis, Handball, Rugby, Table Tennis, Basketball, Curling, Volleyball, Fan and Promotion division, as well as Ice Hockey and Triathlon. Regarding to football, the Verein are only responsible for youth, amateur and women's teams.

The Steering Committee is the highest board. Their members include the President (Peter Fischer) as well as four vice presidents, all responsible for different tasks (Fred Moske/Finance, Hans-Dieter Burkert/amateur sections excluding football, Klaus Lötzbeier/Amateur football, Axel Hellmann/legal matters). Further committees include the administrative board, the electoral committee and the honorary committee. In an additional committee, the advisory committee, all 15 sections are represented.

History

On March 8, 1899 "Frankfurter Fußball-Club Victoria von 1899“ are founded, a predecessor of today’s Eintracht Frankfurt. In the same year, "Frankfurter Fußball-Club Kickers von 1899“ are founded.

During the first international game of a German national team (a friendly against Switzerland on April 5, 1908), Kickers player Fritz Becker scores 2 goals and contributes to the final score of 3:5. Also in 1908, 1. Frankfurter Hockeyclub joins Kickers. On May 13, 1911 the former competitors Victoria and Kickers merge and form the new "Frankfurter Fußballverein (Kickers-Victoria) von 1899“.

The First World War in 1914 does not spare the players of the newly formed club as they are drafted into the army and sent to the front. At the end of the war, the surviving players meet to rebuild the structures of their club destroyed by the war.

Almost 6 years later in April of 1920, the club merges again; this time with Frankfurter Turngemeinde (founded in 1861) to "Turn- und Sportgemeinde Eintracht Frankfurt von 1861“.

This is the first time that the succinct term ‘Eintracht’ appears in connection with the club. In 1927, the clubs disband though due to pressure from the German Gymnastics Association. "Turngemeinde Eintracht Frankfurt von 1861“ and „Sportgemeinde Eintracht Frankfurt (F.F.V) von 1899“ are created.

1930-1959: After the Second World War, the newly formed SG Eintracht 1946 win the state (Hessen) cup. As part of their continuous strife for professionalism, Eintracht create a professional players league in 1948. In 1954, Eintracht send one international player to the World Cup who was finally crowned world Champion with Germany: Alfred Pfaff. With the winning of the German championship final in 1959, Eintracht Frankfurt achieve their biggest win to date, beating their derby rival Kickers Offenbach in Berlin with 5:3. In the post war years, the ladies’ table tennis section bring home the title 7 times until 1959, affirming the multitude of divisions within the club.

1960-1978: Eintracht are the first German team to move to the final of the European Cup (being German champion) in history, yet is spectacularly defeated in Glasgow by Real Madrid by 3:7. Frankfurt forward Erwin Stein, responsible for 2 of the 3 goals later said: ‘My counter player almost stripped me naked on the field. Against them we were only a bunch of humble Hessians.’ Even with 7 goals against them, Eintracht fight a good game. The game with their 10 goals in total is later named the best final in European Cup history.

In 1963, Eintracht Frankfurt belong to the founding members of Bundesliga. During their first season, Eintracht come in third place and became runner-ups in the cup final against TSV 1860 München in Stuttgart (0:2).

During the World Cup in England in 1966, Eintracht send their players Jürgen Grabowski and Friedel Lutz to the German national team who come in second place. After the forced disintegration in 1927, the two former clubs "Sportgemeinde Eintracht Frankfurt (F. F. V.) von 1899 e. V." and "Turn- und Fechtgemeinde Eintracht Frankfurt von 1861 e. V." merge into „Eintracht Frankfurt e.V.“

As in 1966 and 1970, Jürgen Grabowski and his team mate Bernd Hölzenbein are part of the German national team during the 1974 World Cup held on home turf. Bernd Hölzenbein gets a penalty in the final against the Netherlands which Paul Breitner from FC Bayern puts into the net and equalizes the game 1:1. Germany ends the game with 2:1 and is world champion for the second time after 1954.

During the World Cup final year and the year following (1975), Eintracht are the German Cup winner twice in a row. In 1974, Eintracht beat Hamburger SV by 3:1 and in 1975 MSV Duisburg with 1:0. In the Bundesliga, Eintracht only get in third and fourth place in 1975 and 1977 respectively. Between November 20, 1976 and August 1977 the team remain unbeaten for 21 consecutive Bundesliga games.

1978-1994: Under coach Friedel Rausch, Eintracht Frankfurt win the UEFA Cup on May 2, 1980. The final, a German derby against Borussia Mönchengladbach, are won by the opponent 3:2 in the first leg but Eintracht turned the game around in the second leg, winning by 1:0. The scorer is Fred Schaub and Borussia is unable to defend its previous year’s title win.   

After wins against 1. FC Kaiserslautern (3:1, 1981) and VfL Bochum (1:0, 1988) Eintracht take the German Cup (DFB) for the third and for the fourth time.

As during the successful World Cups of 1954 and 1974, Eintracht Frankfurt supply a further international player for Germany's 1990 championship win, Uwe Bein. Andreas Möller is also part of the winning team and rejoins Eintracht in the 1990/91 season. This makes Eintracht Frankfurt the only team besides 1. FC Köln and FC Bayern München to have at least one of their players part of the national team during the three World Cup wins. Also in 1990, Jørn Andersen is the first foreigner to be the top scorer in the Bundesliga.

The most tragic game from a fan’s point of view takes place in 1992 against Hansa Rostock. The game theoretically could ensure the opponent’s non-relegation if they would win. Eintracht lose 1:2 at the Ostseestadion during the last game of the season after referee Alfons Berg from Konz refuses to give a penalty kick after Ralf Weber is fouled. Berg later admits to having made a mistake. Frankfurt though miss out the chamionship, VfB Stuttgart take the title. Eintracht team of 1991/92 were deemed to be the best team ever since its inception.

In the following two years, Eintracht Frankfurt manage to reach the quarter final of the UEFA Cup. Furthermore, Anthony Yeboah is crowned top Bundesliga top scorer in 1993 and 1994 respectively.

1994-1996: After a turbulent 1994/95 season, which sees amongst others the suspension of players Okocha, Yeboah and Gaudino by coach Jupp Heynckes, the new season starts under the supervision of Karl-Heinz Körbel (who took over in 1995). Expectations are high as it seems, that with new players Markus Schupp, Johnny Ekström and the reinstated Gaudino, a strong team is in place. But already before the start of the season, Eintracht loses against Ligue 1 team Girondins Bordeaux (with players such as Lizarazu and Zidane) with 0:3 in the quarter finals of the UI Cup.

The first round of the German Cup is successfully played (2:1 against Saarbrücken) and after the fifth game of the season the team secures fifth place in the league. But from then on the demise starts. Even newly acquired forward Ivica Mornar from Hajduk Split who joins the team in September cannot make a difference: the team is kicked out of the cup after only 2 games against 1860 München (1:5). The next five league games only manage to credit Eintracht with one point and the team finishes in 16th place in the Bundesliga.

With a 4:1 win against Bayern München the crisis seems to be overcome. Until the end of the first half of the season, the defense gains strength and adds Queens Park Ranger’s Ned Zelic to the team, leaving Eintracht in 10th place. But the appearance is deceiving. From the 18th to the 29th game day, Eintracht manage to get one win overall. The hope for turnaround by a change in coach (Körbel is followed by an old known, Dragoslav Stepanovic) does not come. At the end of the season, Eintracht Frankfurt were in 17th place and for the first time in its history no longer a top flight football team.

Just like on the pitch, Eintracht’s sportive demise is also seen in its management: President Ohms receives a vote of no confidence and Treasurer Erbs resigns as a consequence. In 1996, Frankfurt goalkeeper Köpke takes part in the European Championship in England, which is won by Germany.

1996-2006: Threatened demise and a new beginning. After a two year absence, Eintracht were back in the Bundesliga in 1998 with coach Horst Ehrmantraut, who formed a team by putting players together, who were sent away elsewhere. During the probably most exciting fight against relegation, Eintracht manage a 5:1 win on the final game of the 1998/99 season against 1. FC Kaiserslautern. Thanks to a decisive goal in the 89th minute by fan favourite Jan-Aage Fjørtoft, Eintracht climb up to the 15th place and remains in the first league. 1. FC Nürnberg is relegated to the second league.

Due to financial difficulties, the football division is outsourced and formed into a public company by Bernd Ehinger. It is now known as "Eintracht Frankfurt Fußball AG“ and is a subsidiary of "Eintracht Frankfurt e.V.“

Eintracht Frankfurt were less lucky in 2001 than in their preceding years and were relegated once again to the second league.

In the following year, Eintracht Frankfurt’s fate yet again is unknown after the withdrawal of investor Octagon leaves a massive hole of 8 million Euros. Only through the merging of the sponsor pool including city companies such as RMV, Fraport, Mainova, Messe Frankfurt, is the head of the supervisory board, Volker Sparmann, able to fill the gap.

But due to a mistake in the licensing papers, Eintracht Frankfurt’s license cannot be duly issued. The already relegated SpVgg Unterhaching complains to the DFL in the hope to be able to be saved if Eintracht Frankfurt gets its license revoked. On July 17, 2002, the claim is dismissed and Eintracht Frankfurt avoids relegation into the amateur league.

Due to the issue with the license, Eintracht quickly buys new players at the start of the season. Even with a team seen as being weaker, team coach Willi Reimann manages to put Eintracht Frankfurt back into the first Bundesliga for the second time. During the last game of the season, Eintracht Frankfurt again manage to score a decisive goal. The legendary 6:3 score against SSV Reutlingen ensures the promotion to the Bundesliga.

The start of the 2003/04 season sees Heribert Bruchagen take over as CEO in December. The relegation though can not be avoided. After only one year in the bundesliga, the team is back in the second league. In the following year though, coach Friedhelm Funkel and his team are back on top of their game through strong implemented concepts (i.e. cheap, integratable players, loans of young, regional talent) and with no spectacular new transfers of players.

Since the the 2005/06 season, Eintracht Frankfurt are back in the 1. Bundesliga. With young, mostly German speaking players, Eintracht play surprisingly well and remains in the first league at rank 14. On April 11, 2006, Eintracht Frankfurt proceeds to DFB Cup final after winning 1:0 against Arminia Bielefeld. The DFB final in Berlin on April 29, 2006 is lost 0:1 against Bayern München. But as they are already playing in the Champions League, Eintracht Frankfurt get the much sought after participation in the UEFA Cup of 2006/07.

During the first round of the UEFA Cup in 2006/07, Eintracht Frankfurt played Danish team Brøndby IF. Eintracht won the first round at home on September 14, 2006 with 4:0, also profiting from two red cards for the opponent. Frankfurt-born player Michael Thurk scored a perfect hattrick, two of his goals were penalty shots. The second round in Denmark saw the teams draw 2:2, moving Eintracht Frankfurt into the next round. Here the team meet Newcastle United, Celta de Vigo, U.S. Città di Palermo as well as Fenerbahce. After three ties (some of them after a great fight like the 2:2 in Istanbul) and only one unlucky defeat against Palermo, Eintracht is eliminated. They played the matches in the league and in the German Cup quite well: again position 14 and elimination in the half-final. For more details of the younger future, see our recent newsletters at the top of this page. Jørn Andersen is the first foreigner to be the top scorer in the Bundesliga.

Leagues

Until 1914: diverse regional leagues
1914-19: no games
1919-23: Kreisliga Nordmain (first division)
1923-33: Bezirksliga Main (first division)
1933-44: Gauliga Südwest (first division)
1944/45: no games 1945-63: Oberliga Süd (first division)
1963-96: Bundesliga (first division)
1996-98: Zweite Bundesliga (second division)
1998-01: Bundesliga (first division)
2001-03: Zweite Bundesliga (second division)
2003/04: Bundesliga (first division)
2004/05: Zweite Bundesliga (second division)
since 2005: Bundesliga (first division)

Successes

German Champion: 1959
German Cup Winner (DFB): 1974, 1975, 1981, 1988
German Cup Vice Champion: 1964, 2006 

UEFA Cup Champion: 1980
European Cup runer-up: 1960
Southern German Winner: 1930, 1932, 1953, 1959
Southern German Vice Winner: 1931, 1954, 1961, 1962
German Floodlight Cup Winner: 1957
Coppa delle Alpi: 1967
Rappan Cup Winner: 1967
Winner 2. Bundesliga: 1998
Hessen Champion(Amateurs): 1969, 2002

Records

With Karl-Heinz Körbel, Eintracht Frankfurt had the record player in Bundesliga history (602 games, 1972-1991). He solely played for Frankfurt during this time and ‚survived’ 15 coaches. He later became coach twice for Eintracht and was let go on March 30, 1996.

Jürgen Friedl (born: February 23, 1959) was the youngest player in the Bundesliga with 17 years and 26 days until August 6, 2005.

Richard Kress (born: March 6, 1925) was present at the start of the Bundesliga in 1963/64 and has since then held the record of oldest league debutant of all times (38 years and 171 days). He is also the oldest first goal scorer in league history (38 years, 248 days).

Miscellaneous

Since 2005, Eintracht had a real life mascot that is immensly popular with their fans: the golden eagle named Attila who hails from the Hanauer Wildpark „Alte Fasanerie“. Attila was hatched on April 30, 2004 and belongs to Falcon Trainer Norbert Lawitschka. He is present at every home game at Commerzbank-Arena and even travelled to the German Cup Final (DFB) in Berlin. Furthermore, he has been a guest in a multitude of TV-shows.

Bundesliga Coaches

1963/64: Oßwald, Horvat
1964/65: Horvat
1965/66, 1966/67, 1967/68: Schwartz
1968/69, 1969/70, 1970/71, 1971/72, 1972/73: Ribbeck
1973/74, 1974/75, 1975/76: Weise
1976/77: Roos, Lóránt
1977/78: Lorant, Cramer
1978/79: Knefler, Rausch
1979/80: Rausch
1980/81, 1981/82: Buchmann
1982/83: Senekowitsch, Zebec
1983/84: Zebec, Weise
1984/85, 1985/86: Weise
1986/87: Weise, Zahnleiter
1987/88: Feldkamp
1988/89: Feldkamp, Csernai, Berger
1989/90, 1990/91: Berger
1991/92: Stepanović
1992/93: Stepanović, Heese
1993/94: Toppmöller, Körbel
1994/95: Heynckes, Körbel
1995/96: Körbel, Stepanović
1996/97: Stepanović, Ehrmantraut
1997/98: Ehrmantraut
1998/99: Ehrmantraut, Lippert, Fanz, Berger
1999/00: Berger, Magath
2000/01: Magath, Dohmen, Rausch
2001/02: Andermatt, Kraaz
2002/03, 2003/04: Reimann
2004/05-2008/09: Funkel
since 2009/10: Skibbe

Famous Players

Ioannis Amanatidis, Jørn Andersen, Adolf Bechtold, Fritz Becker, Uwe Bein, Uwe Bindewald, Thomas Berthold, Manfred Binz, Peter Blusch, Jörg Böhme, Rudi Bommer, Ronald Borchers, Buk-kun Cha, Lajos Detari, Thomas Doll, Ralf Falkenmayer, Eckehard Feigenspan, Jan-Aage Fjörtoft, Maurizio Gaudino, Jürgen Grabowski, Rudolf Gramlich, Horst Heese, Hermann Höfer, Bernd Hölzenbein, Petar Houbtchev, Willi Huberts, Junichi Inamoto, Fahrudin Jusufi, Andreas Köpke, Karl-Heinz Körbel, Wolfgang Kraus, Richard Kress, Dr. Peter Kunter, Sotirios Kyrgiakos, Dieter Lindner, Werner Lorant, Joachim Löw, Friedel Lutz, Mehdi Mahdavikia, Andreas Möller, Norbert Nachtweih, Willi Neuberger, Bernd Nickel, Jay-Jay Okocha, Bruno Pezzey, Alfred Pfaff, Bernd Schneider, Uli Stein, Dragoslav Stepanovic, Jan Svensson, Wlodzimierz Smolarek, Istvan Sztani, Naohiro Takahara, Ralf Weber, Hans Weilbächer, Anthony Yeboah.

Honorary Players

Adolf Bechtold (1938 to 1963)
Fritz Becker (1904 to 1921)
Dr. Friedrich Claus (1906 to 1914)
Karl Ehmer (1927 to 1938)
Wilhelm Gmelin (1907 to 1922)
Jürgen Grabowski (1965 to 1980)
Rudolf Gramlich (1929 to 1939 and 1943 to 1944)
Werner Heilig (1933 to 1957)
Bernd Hölzenbein (1967 to 1981)
Paul Imke (1919 to 1925)
Karl Jockel (1907 to 1921)
Karl-Heinz Körbel (1972 to 1991)
Dieter Lindner (1956 to 1971)
Alfred Pfaff (1936 to 1961)
Willi Pfeiffer (1910 to 1932)
Adam Schmitt (1935 to 1949)
Emil Schneider (1912 to 1925)
Franz Schütz (1925 to 1934)
Hans Stubb (1928 to 1944)
Hans Weilbächer (1952 to 1965)

Top Scorers

Jørn Andersen 1989/90 (18 goals)
Anthony Yeboah 1992/93 (20 goals)
Anthony Yeboah 1993/94 (18 goals)

Sponsors

Kit Sponsor: Fraport (Airport Management)
Gear: JAKO

Premium-Partner: Coca-Cola (soft drinks), Deutsche Bahn (mobility & services), Frankfurter Neue Presse (media), Hessische Landesbank(financial institution), Licher (Brewery), Mainova, Manpower (human resource solutions), RMV (public transport), Stada (medicinal products).

Partner: Amadeus Fire, AWD, BMW Euler, Caparol, Commerzbank, Genworth, hr 3, kp Ochs, Lotto Hessen, Maple Bank, Masterlease, Rosbacher, Secur Isi, Sparkassen Versicherungen, Trifels Verlag, VGF.

Address

Eintracht Frankfurt Fußball AG
Mörfelder Landstraße 362
60528 Frankfurt/Main

Tel. 0 69 / 9 55 03-0
Fax: 0 69 / 9 55 03-110
eMail: info@eintracht-frankfurt.de
Internet: www.eintracht.de
Forum: Your opinion about the Eagles

Management

Management Board: Heribert Bruchhagen (CEO),
Dr. Thomas Pröckl, Klaus Lötzbeier.

Supervisory Board: Herbert Becker (Head)), Peter Fischer, Axel Hellmann, Achim Vandreike, Bernd Ehinger, Hans-Hermann Reschke, Andreas Mechler, Hans-Dieter Burkert, Reinhard Gödel.

Coach/Staff

Head Coach: Michael Skibbe
Co-Trainer: Armin Reutershahn
Goalkeeper-Trainer: Andreas Menger

Fitness-Trainer: Michael Fabacher
Medical Supervision: Dr. Christoph Seeger
Physiotherapists: Stefan Braunsdorf, Thomas Kühn

Marketing: Jutta Kamolz
Head of Licensed Players: Rainer Falkenhain
Legal/Marketing: Philipp Reschke
Public Relations: Carsten Knoop, Michael Feick
Head of Consumer Services: Christoph von Reisenauer
Head of Accounting: Oliver Frankenbach
IT: Jan Schneider, Manuel Philipp
Assistant to the Management Board: Dunja Lützenkirchen
Assistant to the Coach and Support Team: Maureen Rodrigues
Head of Merchandising: Christian Maresch, Thorsten Ruepp

Links

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• Business Website