Latest news with #Toppmöller
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
No Marmoush, no problem: Ekitiké fires Frankfurt to verge of Champions League
If they were on the verge of something special, the man in charge was hiding it well. It was not, insisted Dino Toppmöller, a final. Nor a playoff. Nor was it even the most important match of the season. All it was, according to the Eintracht Frankfurt coach when he spoke at his press conference the day before the game, was quite simply: 'Matchday 31.' By the end, as Saturday night drew in, it was definitely Saturday night. It turned out that Toppmöller's less-is-more approach suited his team perfectly. They had thrashed RB Leipzig, their significantly more moneyed rivals for a Champions League spot, and were now six points clear of their fifth-placed opposition with just three games left, staring a return to the promised land square in the eyes. Eintracht's jubilant players celebrated as they deserved to after such an effort, though Toppmöller told Sky that 'they had to turn [the music] off for a minute so I could say a few things.' Even he, though, was prepared to admit it is now close. 'We've taken a huge step,' he continued, '[though] the job isn't finished yet.' Advertisement Many, however, had doubted it was even possible at all. Eintracht have been prolific and highly successful sellers of players in recent seasons but one suspected the January exit of Omar Marmoush would be a step too far. Selling is the model, and before the season even began it was envisaged that Marmoush and probably the midfielder Hugo Larsson would be next to go, following Luka Jovic, Randal Kolo Muani, Willian Pacho and the rest. The Egyptian's exit to Manchester City, partially driven by the outgoing Premier League champions' desperation to re-dynamise, was a window earlier than sporting director, Markus Krösche, would have liked. Related: Scott McTominay bathes in the adoration as Napoli leap clear in title race | Nicky Bandini If Eintracht Frankfurt had a shot at making the Champions League, it had all been down to Marmoush. Having gradually developed in the Bundesliga first at Wolfsburg and then after his move west, he had become a force of nature, a blanket attacking solution with a fix for any situation via his power, pace and finishing ability. Marmoush reached the Winterpause as the league's second top-scorer behind Harry Kane and having made Eintracht a bona fide Europa League contender as well. Then he went. Marmoush completed his move on 23 January but inside the club it was not a shock. Six days before the clubs announced the transfer he came out to wave a fond farewell to the fans after they beat hapless Borussia Dortmund on a Friday night. It did however cast a shadow over the rest of the campaign. It was almost like The Chaser. Did Eintracht have enough of a lead in the Champions League race to keep the wolf from the door? Advertisement Since the main man departed for England it has been predictably bumpy. Marmoush's parting gift had been – as well as the sterling service and the €70m fee, of course – the position he had helped lift the team to. It felt as if they were going to need all of that head start. Directly following the completion of his move they won one in seven in all competitions (the win was over relegation certainties Holstein Kiel), suffering four Bundesliga defeats in six at the back end of that. But when those he left behind needed to step up they did, and then some. In recent weeks poise was regained, and a sense of an opportunity to be taken has loomed larger. That steady climb to making sure Eintracht kept what was in their grasp has been epitomised by Hugo Ekitiké, still only 22 but not unaccustomed to setbacks himself. His four goals and four assists in the last nine games underline his place as the latest in a line of top-quality centre-forwards developed at Eintracht. His goal that gave them the lead in the Europa League quarter-final at Tottenham was all him, an individual marvel. Here he was smart to open the game up, neatly prising Leipzig apart for Ansgar Knauff to put Eintracht in front. The brilliant Ekitiké's third, emphatically headed in from Jean-Mattéo Bahoya's perfect cross to seal the game, also took him level with Marmoush on 15 Bundesliga goals for the season, symbolising the team's ability to get along despite everything. That they achieved this 'statement win,' as Toppmöller called it, at home, meant even more. One had wondered if the famously formidable atmosphere at the Deutsche Bank Park – particularly on European nights – would overwhelm Ange Postecoglou's fragile team when they visited, having failed to make their own first-leg dominance in London count, and put Die Adler closer to a second Europa League title in four years. In the end if the occasion overwhelmed anyone, it was the residents. Against Leipzig, Eintracht rose to the occasion, even knowing full well how big it was. Toppmöller will be rewarded with a new deal, and his players will get their recompense in standing to attention on their home pitch and hearing the Champions League anthem at least four times come autumn and winter. That, truly, will be something special. Advertisement Werder Bremen 0-0 St Pauli, VfL Bochum 1-1 Union Berlin, Eintracht Frankfurt 4-0 RB Leipzig, Bayern 3-0 Mainz, Hoffenheim 2-3 Dortmund, Holstein Kiel 4-3 Mönchengladbach, Leverkusen 2-0 Augsburg, Wolfsburg 0-1 Freiburg, Stuttgart 0-1 Heidenheim. Talking points • There are big consequences for Leipzig too – not least in their search for a permanent successor to Marco Rose, with mooted names such as Oliver Glasner and even Cesc Fàbregas (whatever the eventual feasibility of them might be) made less likely if the team were to fail to get a top-four place, as sporting director, Marcel Schäfer, admits. Related: Angry, broke and now relegated: Montpellier are at war with themselves Advertisement • Bayern Munich, one of those teams given a chasing by Marmoush back in autumn, have few worries now but will need to wait a week further to seal the repatriation of their Bundesliga title, despite a Michael Olise-inspired 3-0 win over spent-looking Mainz, due to Bayer Leverkusen's 2-0 victory against Augsburg. Kane will watch the potential title-winner at Leipzig next week from the stand after picking up a fifth yellow card. • For Leverkusen the results aren't anywhere near the full picture. The Carlo Ancelotti situation at Real Madrid is a huge problem, as they don't know whether Xabi Alonso is coming or going – and neither does he. Senior players including Robert Andrich talked of the destabilising effects ('there is a lot of unrest around the team'), with his future and those of Florian Wirtz and Jonas Hofmann, among others, also in doubt. A club that are the most meticulous of planners are in a situation where they simply can't. • Back with the mere mortals in the Champions League race Freiburg were the big winners, now in fourth after victory at Wolfsburg, their third in a row, which takes them above Leipzig. Borussia Dortmund are only a point behind RB thanks to Waldemar Anton's highly controversial stoppage-time winner at Hoffenheim, put in after a collision between Carney Chukwuemeka and Oliver Baumann left the goalkeeper dazed, though referee, Benjamin Brand, didn't end up reviewing the incident on the monitor. 'A scandalous decision,' according to home coach, Christian Ilzer. 'It's not just about the Champions League for Dortmund,' he raged, 'but also about staying in the league for us.'
The Guardian
28-04-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
No Marmoush, no problem: Ekitiké fires Frankfurt to verge of Champions League
If they were on the verge of something special, the man in charge was hiding it well. It was not, insisted Dino Toppmöller, a final. Nor a playoff. Nor was it even the most important match of the season. All it was, according to the Eintracht Frankfurt coach when he spoke at his press conference the day before the game, was quite simply: 'Matchday 31.' By the end, as Saturday night drew in, it was definitely Saturday night. It turned out that Toppmöller's less-is-more approach suited his team perfectly. They had thrashed RB Leipzig, their significantly more moneyed rivals for a Champions League spot, and were now six points clear of their fifth-placed opposition with just three games left, staring a return to the promised land square in the eyes. Eintracht's jubilant players celebrated as they deserved to after such an effort, though Toppmöller told Sky that 'they had to turn [the music] off for a minute so I could say a few things.' Even he, though, was prepared to admit it is now close. 'We've taken a huge step,' he continued, '[though] the job isn't finished yet.' Many, however, had doubted it was even possible at all. Eintracht have been prolific and highly successful sellers of players in recent seasons but one suspected the January exit of Omar Marmoush would be a step too far. Selling is the model, and before the season even began it was envisaged that Marmoush and probably the midfielder Hugo Larsson would be next to go, following Luka Jovic, Randal Kolo Muani, Willian Pacho and the rest. The Egyptian's exit to Manchester City, partially driven by the outgoing Premier League champions' desperation to re-dynamise, was a window earlier than sporting director, Markus Krösche, would have liked. If Eintracht Frankfurt had a shot at making the Champions League, it had all been down to Marmoush. Having gradually developed in the Bundesliga first at Wolfsburg and then after his move west, he had become a force of nature, a blanket attacking solution with a fix for any situation via his power, pace and finishing ability. Marmoush reached the Winterpause as the league's second top-scorer behind Harry Kane and having made Eintracht a bona fide Europa League contender as well. Then he went. Marmoush completed his move on 23 January but inside the club it was not a shock. Six days before the clubs announced the transfer he came out to wave a fond farewell to the fans after they beat hapless Borussia Dortmund on a Friday night. It did however cast a shadow over the rest of the campaign. It was almost like The Chaser. Did Eintracht have enough of a lead in the Champions League race to keep the wolf from the door? Since the main man departed for England it has been predictably bumpy. Marmoush's parting gift had been – as well as the sterling service and the €70m fee, of course – the position he had helped lift the team to. It felt as if they were going to need all of that head start. Directly following the completion of his move they won one in seven in all competitions (the win was over relegation certainties Holstein Kiel), suffering four Bundesliga defeats in six at the back end of that. But when those he left behind needed to step up they did, and then some. In recent weeks poise was regained, and a sense of an opportunity to be taken has loomed larger. That steady climb to making sure Eintracht kept what was in their grasp has been epitomised by Hugo Ekitiké, still only 22 but not unaccustomed to setbacks himself. His four goals and four assists in the last nine games underline his place as the latest in a line of top-quality centre-forwards developed at Eintracht. His goal that gave them the lead in the Europa League quarter-final at Tottenham was all him, an individual marvel. Here he was smart to open the game up, neatly prising Leipzig apart for Ansgar Knauff to put Eintracht in front. The brilliant Ekitiké's third, emphatically headed in from Jean-Mattéo Bahoya's perfect cross to seal the game, also took him level with Marmoush on 15 Bundesliga goals for the season, symbolising the team's ability to get along despite everything. That they achieved this 'statement win,' as Toppmöller called it, at home, meant even more. One had wondered if the famously formidable atmosphere at the Deutsche Bank Park – particularly on European nights – would overwhelm Ange Postecoglou's fragile team when they visited, having failed to make their own first-leg dominance in London count, and put Die Adler closer to a second Europa League title in four years. In the end if the occasion overwhelmed anyone, it was the residents. Against Leipzig, Eintracht rose to the occasion, even knowing full well how big it was. Toppmöller will be rewarded with a new deal, and his players will get their recompense in standing to attention on their home pitch and hearing the Champions League anthem at least four times come autumn and winter. That, truly, will be something special. Werder Bremen 0-0 St Pauli, VfL Bochum 1-1 Union Berlin, Eintracht Frankfurt 4-0 RB Leipzig, Bayern 3-0 Mainz, Hoffenheim 2-3 Dortmund, Holstein Kiel 4-3 Mönchengladbach, Leverkusen 2-0 Augsburg, Wolfsburg 0-1 Freiburg, Stuttgart 0-1 Heidenheim. There are big consequences for Leipzig too – not least in their search for a permanent successor to Marco Rose, with mooted names such as Oliver Glasner and even Cesc Fàbregas (whatever the eventual feasibility of them might be) made less likely if the team were to fail to get a top-four place, as sporting director, Marcel Schäfer, admits. Bayern Munich, one of those teams given a chasing by Marmoush back in autumn, have few worries now but will need to wait a week further to seal the repatriation of their Bundesliga title, despite a Michael Olise-inspired 3-0 win over spent-looking Mainz, due to Bayer Leverkusen's 2-0 victory against Augsburg. Kane will watch the potential title-winner at Leipzig next week from the stand after picking up a fifth yellow card. For Leverkusen the results aren't anywhere near the full picture. The Carlo Ancelotti situation at Real Madrid is a huge problem, as they don't know whether Xabi Alonso is coming or going – and neither does he. Senior players including Robert Andrich talked of the destabilising effects ('there is a lot of unrest around the team'), with his future and those of Florian Wirtz and Jonas Hofmann, among others, also in doubt. A club that are the most meticulous of planners are in a situation where they simply can't. Back with the mere mortals in the Champions League race Freiburg were the big winners, now in fourth after victory at Wolfsburg, their third in a row, which takes them above Leipzig. Borussia Dortmund are only a point behind RB thanks to Waldemar Anton's highly controversial stoppage-time winner at Hoffenheim, put in after a collision between Carney Chukwuemeka and Oliver Baumann left the goalkeeper dazed, though referee, Benjamin Brand, didn't end up reviewing the incident on the monitor. 'A scandalous decision,' according to home coach, Christian Ilzer. 'It's not just about the Champions League for Dortmund,' he raged, 'but also about staying in the league for us.'
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Injured Götze to miss Frankfurt's game against Augsburg
Frankfurt's Mario Goetze sits injured on the pitch during the UEFA Europa League quarter final second leg soccer match between Eintracht Frankfurt and Tottenham Hotspur at Deutsche Bank Park. Uwe Anspach/dpa Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Mario Götze will miss the Bundesliga match against Augsburg on Sunday due to injury, coach Dino Toppmöller said. Götze suffered a thigh injury during the 1-0 defeat to Tottenham in the quarter-finals of the Europa League on Thursday and had to be subbed off in the 17th minute. Advertisement "Mario Götze is still undergoing tests, so we'll have to wait. He definitely won't be available for the match in Augsburg, but the other lads are all ready for the game," Toppmöller said in a news conference on Friday. The defeat resulted in Frankfurt's elimination from the Europa League. "None of us slept well – Rasmus (Kristensen) didn't sleep at all. We need to shake off the disappointment as quickly as possible," the coach said. Frankfurt need to quickly shift their focus to the Bundesliga as they aim to qualify for the Champions League. They are third, but only five points ahead Mainz, who's the first team out of the qualification zone. Advertisement "We need to turn our focus back to the Bundesliga as quickly as possible. We've won three of our last four league matches and want to carry this confidence forward into this game," Toppmöller said. Goalkeeper Kevin Trapp could make his comeback against Augsburg. He returned to team training from injury on Wednesday, but the game against Tottenham came too early for him.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Frankfurt keeper Trapp fails to recover for Tottenham trip
Eintracht Frankfurt manager Dino Toppmoeller attends a press conference at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, ahead of Thursday's UEFA Europa League soccer match against Tottenham Hotspur. Bradley Collyer/PA Wire/dpa Eintracht Frankfurt will be without main goalkeeper Kevin Trapp for their Europa League quarter-final first leg at Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday. The Eagles will once again rely on Kauã Santos. Trapp, who is recovering from a shin injury, is still not fit enough to be included in the match squad but will travel with the team as captain. Advertisement Head coach Dino Toppmöller expressed full confidence in the 21-year-old Brazilian stand-in, whose form has been up and down. He also deputized against Viktoria Plzeň in the league phase in September and conceded three goals in a 3-3 home draw. "Kauã had a kind of baptism of fire in the match against Plzeň. Tomorrow is another step up. I won't have a separate conversation with him again. You can sense his composure – but also his focus and hunger," Toppmöller told reporters on Wednesday. Frankfurt - the 2022 winners - and Tottenham are among the top teams left in this season's Europa League, the second-tier club competition in Europe. "We are facing a top favourite. For me, Manchester United and Tottenham are the top favourites in this competition. They've got a deluxe squad," Toppmöller said. Advertisement He added that Frankfurt, third in the Bundesliga, aim to progress "with the mentality of the underdog." Frankfurt surprisingly lost 2-0 at home to Werder Bremen at the weekend, with Santos in goal.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Eintracht Frankfurt hail 'Marmoush replacement' Mario Götze after massive UEL win
After squandering the lead against FC Union Berlin in the Bundesliga last Sunday, Eintracht Frankfurt could not have hoped for a better reaction in Thursday night's Europa League fixture. In point of fact, head coach Dino Toppmöller literally labelled it 'the perfect reaction' in both his post-match interview and at the press conference. Eintracht are headed to the Europa League Finals behind four exceptional goals in their 4-1 victory (6-2 aggregate) over Ajax Amsterdam. Virtually everything went right for the German 2021/22 Europa League Champions. Young SGE prospect Jean-Matteo Bahoya and Hugo Ekitiké combined in elegant fashion for 1-0 in the 7th minute. After that, it was German footballing legend Mario Götze's time to shine – Götze would score two of the remaining three goals. Bahoya and Ekitiké also combined again to net the decisive 3-0 in the 67th. Götze's sparkling performance remained the main talking point for both Toppmöller, Eintracht board-member-for-sport Markus Krösche, and Götze's fellow German footballing legend Lothar Matthäus. The full crowd gave Götze a memorable standing ovation when he exited the pitch in the 85th. The 32-year-old – written off by Borussia Dortmund at the end of the 2019/20 campaign – continues to defy the odds. Dortmund allowed Götze to depart on an expiring contract. The 2014 German World Cup winner remained jobless until Ajax Amsterdam picked him up as a free agent well after the autumn 2020 transfer deadline. Since Frankfurt took a chance and brought him back to German football, Götze has obstinately refused to go into gentle retirement. This year, he's scored four goals and registered three assists in several clutch performances among his 29 appearances across all competitions. his two superb goals. It was his first double pack in the Eintracht jersey. 'It's amazing what Mario does with the ball,' Matthäus noted on RTL, 'He doesn't just play football, he enjoys it too. That's what makes him so strong.' 'Mario is an extremely important player,' Krösche added in his RTL interview. 'Especially with a young team, you need players who can provide stability. His two goals were superb has scored superbly both times.' 'Mario plays very much for the team, without trying to take centre stage and shine,' Toppmöller said. 'Mario is a Champions League player. He possesses footballing calm.' Toppmöller joked a little more at the press conference, noting that Götze – who wears the no. 27 on his tricot – should drop the first digit from the back of his jersey. That would leave him with the no. 7, the tricot number of the departed Omar Marmoush. 'He can follow in Marmoush's footsteps,' Toppmöller laughed. GGFN | Peter Weis
