Eintracht Frankfurt has sacked head coach Dino Toppmoller, the Bundesliga club said Sunday, one day after a 3-3 draw with Werder Bremen, reported Xinhua.
Toppmoller had been under contract until 2028 but was dismissed following an internal review that also took into account "the impressions of the first three matches in the new calendar year," according to the club.
"After intensive internal evaluation, we have come to the conviction that, due to the declining development in recent weeks, we need a new sporting impulse," board member for sport Markus Kroesche said. He added that Eintracht had fallen short of its stated identity. "Our claim to stand for dynamic, aggressive and compact football has been met only insufficiently this season," he said.
Eintracht moved quickly to appoint an interim coaching team, naming under-21 coach Dennis Schmitt and under-19 coach Alexander Meier. The club said Schmitt will assume the leading role, with Kroesche citing the pair's readiness "to take responsibility in this challenging situation" while giving the club time to appoint a permanent successor.
Toppmoller took charge ahead of the 2023-24 season, replacing Oliver Glasner and overseeing a period of transition marked by significant changes to the squad and sporting structure. Under his leadership, Eintracht qualified twice directly for European competition and reached the Europa League quarterfinals.
Toppmoller's first league season ended with a sixth-place finish, before Frankfurt improved further in 2024-25 by finishing third in the Bundesliga, the club's best league placing and its first Champions League qualification via the league route.
The current season, however, has been defined by persistent defensive problems. Eintracht has conceded 39 goals in 18 league matches, the highest total in the Bundesliga, with repeated individual errors and a lack of collective organization undermining results.
Schmitt and Meier now face the task of stabilizing a campaign that has veered off course as Eintracht begins its search for a long-term replacement.
Eintracht next faces Qarabag on Wednesday in the Champions League before hosting Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
- Eintracht Frankfurt
- Sack
- Coach
- Toppmoller
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
