Dragan Kandic is more than just the good spirit from the Lichtluftbad in the south of Frankfurt. As a groundskeeper and landlord, tennis teacher and pastor – and of course also as a hygiene officer in Corona times – the unique character in one of the many sports clubs in the Main metropolis keeps people from the most diverse backgrounds together. But the cute tennis club high above the rooftops has never seen the native Serb hug everything and everyone and jump up to the sky in joy.
In front of the two televisions on the terrace, what was happening all over the city played out on this magical night: total strangers hugged each other, most of them just screamed their joy, quite a few also cried with happiness. Eintracht’s Europa League triumph (5-4 on penalties against Glasgow Rangers) sent an entire city into a state of emergency. It wasn’t long before the first motorcades started with wild honking and uninhibited fans celebrating. The black and white Eintracht flags that fluttered everywhere will be even more in the future.
The huge party on the Frankfurter Römer the day after with an unbelievable casserole is an expression of an authentic enthusiasm for the moody diva from the Main, who has skyrocketed in popularity. In the recent past, she has done a lot right and little wrong in order to reach people’s hearts. There can hardly be a greater recognition for the traditional club when schoolchildren have long known the popular Eintracht anthems, from “Black and white like snow” to “In the heart of Europe”, inside and out.
Eintracht Frankfurt now has more than 100,000 members
Girls and boys have been singing these songs fervently in the playground for weeks. Nobody in Frankfurt would think of becoming a supporter of FC Bayern or Borussia Dortmund – Frankfurt offers everything a football fan could wish for, regardless of age, nationality, gender or religion. The association, which recently proudly welcomed its one hundred thousandth member, has been shining like a fixed star for some time.
Karl-Heinz “Charly” Körbel, 67, the still jolly brand ambassador, Bundesliga record player (602 appearances) and head of the Eintracht football school, rightly points out that the special spirit “wasn’t born overnight, but in the last years has grown”. Eintracht would never have accepted a financial injection from an investor like Lars Windhorst at Hertha BSC – Frankfurt has had such experiences for a long time. Now, with the crowned dream trip through Europe, a lesson is offered that clubs from the upper middle class can still “push the limits” with their own resources, as board spokesman Axel Hellmann had speculated before the final.
The rhetorically well-versed lawyer, 50, is behind the scenes one of the master builders of this fabulous success story – he was once also a driving force to equip the club with more imagination and a little more risk after the solid mediocrity of the Heribert-Bruchhagen era. Hellmann rightly points out that winning the cup 42 years after triumphing in the previous competition of the Uefa Cup (2:3, 1:0 against Borussia Mönchengladbach) is not a product of chance. “In the past six years we have been in a semi-final in the DFB Cup or the Europa League five times.”
But in the end, nothing beats a title. “It will take a few years before you realize the scope,” said the intrepid midfielder Sebastian Rode. The captain, who is firmly rooted in Hesse and who likes to go to the Goethe Tower with his family on weekends to enjoy the wonderful view of the city forest and the skyline, suspects that after this success, Eintracht’s prospects are even better.
Because the Europa League victory brings 30 million euros in additional income, because Eintracht starts as the set head of the Champions League. “Of course it’s financial income, which is extremely good for us after two years of Corona. That helps us a lot for the future,” said manager Markus Krösche, 41, who will not deviate from his basic philosophy.
It is still primarily about “working cleverly and upstream”. The continuation of the international festival makes many a conversation with actors and agents easier. Even if some calibers of the premier class should be a size too big from September onwards, spending the winter as a group third in the Europa League – the natural home of Eintracht – is always possible in the World Cup season.
First of all, however, the next pilgrimage to Helsinki is on the agenda, because there on August 10th the Supercup final will take place either against Liverpool FC or Real Madrid. By then, the club wants to have extended the contracts with Filip Kostic, Daichi Kamada or Even Ndicka, who would otherwise inevitably have been on the sales list. Reinforcements in all parts of the team are necessary, but despite everything the club wants to remain true to itself.
“We’re not going to buy big now because we qualified for the Champions League once,” promised Eintracht President Peter Fischer, 66, in a sober moment. “There will be no hara-kiri at this club.” Otherwise, Eintracht’s hoarse mouthpiece could no longer be held: “This is the greatest moment in the club’s history. That’s why I’m a monster proud president. Today we just have to be happy, celebrate, bring this damn trophy to Frankfurt. We want this miserable bitch on the bring Romans.”