football
Frankfurt and Freiburg want to extend the European trip
Ritsu Doan (l) and SC Freiburg want to survive against Lens. photo
© Thibault Camus/AP/dpa
Eintracht Frankfurt and SC Freiburg are not only playing for a place in the round of 16 of international club competitions, but also for important points for the Bundesliga.
In the championship are Eintracht Frankfurt and SC Freiburg are bitter rivals for an international starting place, but they pursue the same goal on Europe’s football stage.
With victories in the second leg of the playoffs, both clubs want to reach the round of 16 – and at the same time collect important points for the Bundesliga in the fight for an additional Champions League place in the coming season.
“It’s also about the opportunity for German football to send as many participants as possible to the European competitions. We have that in mind and it is of course an important point for us,” said Eintracht Frankfurt’s board spokesman Axel Hellmann to the German Press Agency before the Conference League duel between Hesse and the Belgian top team Union Saint-Gilloise this Thursday (9 p.m./RTL).
Freiburg’s coach Christian Streich, on the other hand, attaches little importance to the matter. “I know about it, but there’s no point in dealing with it. If we made it to the round of 16, all the flowers would be flying to us anyway,” said the 58-year-old before the Europa League game against French representatives RC Lens on Thursday (6.45 p.m./RTL+).
Because the premier class will be played in a new format with 36 instead of the previous 32 teams from next season, two of the four additional starting places will be awarded to the two best leagues this season in the three European competitions. Italy is currently in the lead in the rankings, while Germany and England are in a close race for second place.
If the Bundesliga were to occupy one of the top two places at the end of the season, the fifth-placed team would be in the Champions League and there would be a total of eight German teams in the European Cup. This means that eighth place in the league could still be enough for the Conference League.
Eintracht is looking forward to more magical European nights
For the Frankfurt team, who won the Europa League in 2022, international appearances are of great importance anyway. “The competition is very attractive for us. That’s why we want to win and move forward,” emphasized Hellmann.
The duels on the European stage in particular would be good for the team in terms of further development, “because you are really challenged in the knockout games. It’s either advance or be eliminated. That’s a good indicator,” said the 52-year-old.
The team is also excited for more magical European nights. “Each of us really wants to move forward. We know that this is important for the entire situation,” said Eintracht coach Dino Toppmöller. And captain Sebastian Rode announced before the game against the league leaders from Belgium: “We are all sharp and will go for the win.” After the 2-2 draw in the first leg, the Hessians have all the trump cards in their hands in front of their home crowd.
This also applies to SC Freiburg in the duel with Lens. The 0-0 draw in the first duel leaves the Breisgauers with every chance of reaching the round of 16, for which the sovereign Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen have already qualified. SC coach Streich doesn’t see his team as favorites. “There is a chance for us. We have to reach the maximum of our potential and the ability to endure suffering. Then we can beat teams like this on a special day,” he said.