Eintracht Frankfurt Backs Krösche Amidst Rumors of Departure

The storm around Markus Krösche is raging in public. Inside Eintracht Frankfurt, they insist there is barely a breeze.

According to research by specialist magazine kicker, based on numerous background talks with figures at the very top of the club, neither Krösche nor Eintracht are working on a separation this summer. On the contrary: the 43-year-old is said to enjoy “full backing” from the SGE supervisory board.

That picture clashes sharply with what Bild painted only days earlier. The tabloid claimed that at the supervisory board meeting on 2 September, the club would discuss how to usher Krösche out of the door ahead of time.

Supervisory board chairman and Eintracht president Mathias Beck has now shut that down.

“The supervisory board meeting on Wednesday is a regularly scheduled meeting that has been planned for a long time. Naturally, it will cover all the topics of the summer, including sporting matters. I will not comment publicly on reports about Markus Krösche. The fact is, he has a current contract (until 2028), declared himself clearly committed to Eintracht Frankfurt two months ago and, with his team, is in the final straight of the transfer window. There is therefore no reason to speculate about the future of Markus Krösche,” Beck is quoted as saying by kicker.

“Stink bombs” and vanities behind the scenes

Inside the club, kicker encountered something else: surprise. Persistent, genuine surprise at the rumours of a split. The conversations did not give the impression of a staged defence campaign.

Instead, in this explosive matter, the magazine describes a scenario of “stink bombs” being thrown to “stir up unrest”, fuelled by the “vanities” of certain individuals. Who exactly is behind it remains unclear. Even how Bild am Sonntag obtained its information is described as “mysterious”.

What is clear: there is at least room to doubt that everyone around Eintracht is currently pulling in the same direction.

On Sunday evening, Lothar Matthäus struck a similar tone on Sky90. “Something is being played behind the scenes here against Markus Krösche because perhaps some people are jealous of him,” the record Germany international speculated.

The Bild story had also suggested a rift between sporting director Krösche, who has been the central figure in a turbulent and sluggish transfer summer, and coach Adi Hütter. Kicker’s information contradicts that. There has been no falling-out, it reports.

Hütter is certainly not thrilled that key personnel decisions dragged on until around the start of the season. But talk of a major bust-up is wide of the mark. The Austrian still received two of his preferred signings: goalkeeper Noah Atubolu and centre-back Lilian Brassier.

A murky transfer window – and big money on the table

The sporting backdrop to all this is anything but calm. Eintracht opened the Bundesliga season by throwing away a 3-1 lead at Union Berlin, conceding late and trudging back to Frankfurt with only a point. The performance underlined how much work remains – and how much can still happen before the transfer window shuts.

With Arnau Kalimuendo, there is still hope in Frankfurt of another loan deal. The forward impressed on loan from Nottingham in the second half of last season, scoring six goals in 19 games for SGE, and remains high on the wish list, according to kicker.

On the outgoing side, the numbers are eye-catching. A move for Hugo Larsson to the Premier League could bring in up to €25 million. The midfielder was recently in London, with Eintracht’s permission, to negotiate with two clubs, one of them Crystal Palace.

Jean-Matteo Bahoya was also expected to deliver a sizeable fee. A transfer to Hull City was set to bring in almost €20 million for SGE, but according to Sport1 the player himself rejected the move.

Another sale, originally not planned, may yet materialise in the final hours of the window. Matching media reports state that Al-Ittihad are pushing hard for Ritsu Doan. A move to Saudi Arabia for around €18 million is now even considered likely.

Three departures, more than €60 million in potential income – and right in the middle of this financial and sporting puzzle came the reports of a possible Krösche exit. Only weeks after AC Milan had tried and failed to lure him away.

In June, Krösche gave the Rossoneri a final rejection. According to kicker, he also turned down a personally highly lucrative offer in the process. Milan are said to have put €40 million over four years on the table.

Riera, the first big misstep – and the end of the European run

Up to last season, Krösche’s standing at Eintracht was almost untouchable. He had built it on a series of strong sales and shrewd squad management. Then came Albert Riera.

After the dismissal of Dino Toppmöller, Krösche pushed hard for the Spaniard. It turned into his first major misstep in Frankfurt. Riera failed spectacularly in the Hessian metropolis, alienated fans and players alike and was gone again after only 14 matches. Eintracht limped to eighth place.

The price was steep. For the first time since Krösche arrived in 2021, Eintracht will not play in Europe this season.

That failure sharpened the focus on the sporting director. Every delay in the transfer window, every rumour, every whisper about unrest now lands directly at his door.

Krösche himself, though, is keeping his head down. Asked about the departure rumours after the draw in Berlin, he refused to be drawn in.

“We’re talking about football,” he said shortly after the final whistle. Even when pressed again, he asked to “leave it at that”.

The club leadership says it stands firmly behind him. Parts of the public and, apparently, some voices in the background are pushing a different narrative. The transfer clock is ticking. The next supervisory board meeting is set.

Who will still be sitting at the controls when this window finally slams shut?