Party president and fighter against the AfD: The Bundesliga will miss Peter Fischer

Eintracht Frankfurt
Party president and fighter against the AfD: The Bundesliga will miss Peter Fischer

Eintracht Frankfurt’s President Peter Fischer leaves his mark. His commitment to combating right-wing extremism brought him recognition beyond sport. After almost 24 years, he stops on Monday.

One of the loudest fighters against the right in the Bundesliga is resigning – at least a little. Peter Fischer, President of Eintracht Frankfurt, is leaving his position after almost 24 years. Successor Mathias Beck will be elected at the general meeting on February 5th. According to Fischer, Beck is “a man who does a lot of things well and is good at it, even in areas where I wasn’t good.”

Fischer doesn’t want to completely withdraw from the public eye. The spirited person that he is couldn’t do that. In the future, Fischer will act as Honorary President of Eintracht and represent the club as an ambassador. The man who says that he can’t really do anything except “talk” wants to get involved further, including through a foundation in which he wants to continue his socio-political commitment. “It’s the right moment to go,” says Fischer. He wants to continue the “fight against Nazis and right-wing extremism.” Or as he puts it: “Against the brown Nazi brood.”

The famous sentence about the AfD

Fischer felt the personal consequences this could have when he took a clear stand. His famous sentence in the summer of 2018, “Anyone who votes for the AfD cannot be a member of us” caused heated debates across the club’s borders. Back then, Fischer answered the question about demarcation from the right-wing extremist party more clearly than many CDU or FDP politicians in East Germany do today. “There were hundreds of reports that I received. There were endless threats,” reports Fischer. But there was also a good side: “We definitely made a difference – also helping some clubs and those responsible to position themselves just as clearly.”

Fischer was without a doubt one of the most colorful presidents in the Bundesliga. This was not only due to his affable nature or political commitment, but also to the sporting successes that the club celebrated during his time in office. The biggest was winning the Europa League in May 2022. Eintracht had an incredible journey through European stadiums. The highlight was the win against FC Barcelona in the quarter-finals. In the final, the team of then coach Oliver Glasner defeated Glasgow Rangers. The cup win against Bayern in 2018 will of course be just as unforgettable. There were two relegations to the second division, each of which only lasted a year.

Under Fischer, the club developed and professionalized enormously. The number of members rose from 5,000 to 135,000 during his term in office – an incredible number that can be attributed, among other things, to his fight against the AfD and right-wing extremists. “It’s not just results, without a doubt, and not just trophies,” he said. “What’s more important is that, in addition to sport, we have very clear values ​​that we represent and that we stand up for.”

Not everyone liked his relaxed style

The cheerful and communicative president provoked criticism from some people with his manner. The relaxed style didn’t suit everyone. His trademarks included a three-day beard and red sneakers. Fischer, also known as the “party president,” liked to overshoot the mark, like after the European Cup triumph in 2022, when he said: “A European Cup victory is a thousand times better than sex. Because these trophies are damn, damn rare. ” He didn’t inspire everyone with this, but many fans who often shouted to him during speeches: “Peter gives one away.”

Fischer announced the decision to withdraw from the front row in May last year. In doing so, he drew conclusions from a dark chapter that he and his family had to experience. At that time, the public prosecutor’s office had begun an investigation into cocaine possession, and Fischer spoke of a “character assassination campaign” in which boundaries had been crossed. The public prosecutor ultimately closed the investigation. Nevertheless, he left “with satisfaction” and without bitterness, said Fischer. “I am proud of a club that is well positioned and future-oriented,” he said, summing up his life’s work.

Sources: DPA,”Frankfurter Rundschau“, “hessenschau“