After the cup exit
Krösche criticizes Eintracht-Schönplayer
Frankfurt’s Aurelio Buta is deeply disappointed after the cup exit. photo
© Uwe Anspach/dpa
After the cup flop in Saarbrücken, Frankfurt’s sports director Krösche criticized the team. They let the third division team buy their grit.
After the shockingly weak performance at the cup exit in Saarbrücken, the sports director left Markus Krösche takes a hard look at the Eintracht Frankfurt professionals.
“We have to put our finger on the wound. Basically, football is about tackling duels, accepting them and winning them. We just have to start there. We can’t always play nice football. We have to see that we can get into the game through the duels come,” criticized Krösche after the deserved 0-2 defeat to the third division team.
As was the case three days earlier in the 1-2 defeat in Augsburg, the team let a physically robust opponent take its edge. “This is brutally disappointing,” said the 43-year-old and added: “It’s totally frustrating, it’s unnecessary. They’re all basic issues that we’ve failed on, and that’s what’s annoying.”
Title opportunity wasted
The fourth competitive defeat in a row was particularly bitter for Krösche because it caused the Hessians to carelessly squander a chance for the title this season. “I’m angry because we were in the final last year and wanted to go there again this season,” said Krösche.
The team now has to learn lessons quickly. Finally, the German champions Bayern Munich are coming to Frankfurt on Saturday. “It’s a complicated phase, no question about it,” admitted Krösche. “Now it’s about continuing to work and preparing for Bayern.”
It is questionable whether the trend reversal will be successful against the record champions. Especially since coach Dino Toppmöller has noticed an enormous loss of strength in his protégés. “You can see that we are running on the last groove. There is a lack of freshness, even in our heads. The speed of action is not there,” said Toppmöller. Nevertheless, we will “shake ourselves up and try to do better on Saturday.”