DFB cup final
Duel of the systems: sports directors Krösche and Eberl on the upswing
Meeting in Berlin in the cup final: Frankfurt’s Markus Krösche (l) and his Leipzig counterpart Max Eberl. photo
© Andreas Gora/dpa
Max Eberl and Markus Krösche have aroused interest with their work. The sports directors from Leipzig and Frankfurt are traded at FC Bayern. They downplay the duel of the systems.
Markus Krösche and Max Eberl don’t want to know much about the system duel between the traditional club and the artificial product. For the sports directors of Eintracht Frankfurt and RB Leipzig, the DFB Cup final is much more about the national culmination of a turbulent football year – as well as another imprint on the business card, which could later become important for them personally.
After the separation from Hasan Salihamidzic, they are looking for a sports director at FC Bayern – and two of the possible candidates will be on the big stage on Saturday (8 p.m. / ZDF and Sky): Eberl, a native Bavarian with a contract in Leipzig, and Krösche , at the age of 42 already a European Cup winner as a sports director in Frankfurt.
“I think that the two are very good sports directors when they are in the DFB Cup final with their clubs,” said Bayern President Herbert Hainer about the duo. The record champion is looking for “a big caliber”. As expected, RB and Eintracht are keeping a low profile before the final in Berlin.
Both in Bayern’s sights?
For both clubs, a quick departure of the central maker would be piquant. In Frankfurt, because Krösche has to deal with the reorganization and succession of the outgoing successful coach Oliver Glasner this summer. In Leipzig, because Eberl only took up his new position last December ten months after his emotional end at Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Tradition vs. modernity: This tension, which the 49-year-old Eberl has felt particularly severely in recent months, will also characterize the final in the Olympic Stadium. Up to 50,000 Eintracht fans are expected in Berlin, their self-proclaimed enemy is the rival from Saxony, who is often referred to as a “construct”.
“Great clubs meet each other. I can understand that there are people who appreciate our modern and innovative approach and others see themselves more as traditionalists. Every opinion should also be accepted,” said Leipzig’s sports director Eberl to the “kicker”. The two clubs quickly cleared a joint final scarf in the knowledge of the non-existent Red Bull acceptance in the Frankfurt fan camp. Last year there was a dispute between Leipzig and SC Freiburg on this very issue.
Don’t open a debate
“We quickly agreed that we would not open this debate,” said Eintracht spokesman Axel Hellmann. It was also agreed that “not to open up the battle of the systems communicatively”. This is also how Eberl and Krösche see it, who demonstrated agreement on many questions in a joint interview about a week before the final.
When asked what role the meeting of two football worlds played, Krösche said: “None on the pitch. It’s about showing a good performance – no matter what opponent.” Krösche knows both sides: He worked for RB from 2019 to 2021 and then switched to Eintracht. To the furor of the Frankfurt fans, he said diplomatically: “I’m now with a great traditional club and I respect the opinion of the fans and their attitude towards it.”
This final almost happened a year ago in the Europa League in Seville, but Leipzig failed in the semi-finals at Glasgow Rangers. The Frankfurt fans celebrated the Scots’ victory as if it were their own – and President Peter Fischer was also enthusiastic. “Tradition plays against tradition – world class,” said Fischer, looking ahead to the final. In the past, the club boss was more often noticed with tips towards Leipzig, spoke more openly than other officials casually of a “group club”. Before the finale, at least those responsible for sport shut down the teasing.