Eintracht Frankfurt begins new season with Adi Hütter

Hütter succeeds the controversial Spaniard Albert Riera, whose departure had made headlines in recent weeks. "Wir müssen auch wieder versuchen, das Stadion, das ja eine unheimliche Wucht hat, mitzunehmen," Hütter said, according to dpa. Lifelong Frankfurt man Timothy Chandler was also greeted by fans with chants of "Timmy, Timmy."

The opening session featured 25 professionals and five youth players. The only signing to date is Malik Pimpong. World Cup participants such as Japan's Ritsu Doan were not yet present. "Wir wissen natürlich alle, dass das immer Wunschdenken ist auch des Trainers, dass wenn Trainingsstart ist, dass alle Spieler schon an Bord sind," Hütter explained.

Squad planning: Open personnel matters

With regard to squad planning, the coach hinted that something could happen as early as this week. "Aber umso schneller die Schlüsselspieler auf den Schlüsselpositionen da sind, umso besser ist es." Not only arrivals but also departures are expected at Eintracht.

Among the expected departures, Ellyes Skhiri is one name in focus. According to information from "Kicker," Eintracht has expressed interest in a return of the defensive midfielder to 1. FC Köln. The 31-year-old moved from Köln to Frankfurt in 2023. The 20-year-old right-back Elias Baum, who made only five brief appearances last season, is also reportedly open to a move. His name has recently been linked with Galatasaray.

Sporting director Markus Krösche is also working on a deal for Noel Aseko. According to "Sport1," the midfielder is set to move from FC Bayern Munich to Frankfurt. Aseko was loaned out by Bayern to second-division side Hannover 96 last season. The 23-year-old Aurele Amenda is also close to a move; the transfer fee for the defender, who reached the World Cup quarter-finals with Switzerland, is said to be around 20 million euros. One report says the deal is close to completion.

Following the departure of Albert Riera

Alongside Aseko, the case of Can Uzun is also on Frankfurt's squad-planning agenda. According to "Bild," the Hessians are demanding around 60 million euros for the attacking player. A transfer of Robert Andrich from Leverkusen is also being discussed; Andrich's future at Leverkusen is considered uncertain.

Against the backdrop of sporting preparations, the abrupt departure of Albert Riera continues to spark debate. In an "FAZ" interview, Hellmann stressed that "Böller werfen oder Raketen abfeuern, das war schon immer kriminell" sei and that pyrotechnics must fundamentally be questioned. Riera, for his part, had sharply attacked the sporting leadership, accusing them of being cowards who talk behind people's backs.

Club leadership defends Krösche

The club leadership rejected the accusations. "Markus Krösche genießt das Vertrauen des Aufsichtsrates," according to a statement from the club. "Wir haben in den letzten fünf Jahren kumuliert einen Gewinn gemacht, bei gleichzeitiger viermaliger Qualifikation für europäische Wettbewerbe," Hellmann was quoted as saying in the "FAZ." "Das zeigt doch, dass unser Modell wirtschaftlich und sportlich funktioniert."

The question of the future captain also remains open. "Ich habe mich noch nicht entschieden. Aber damit habe ich mich jetzt noch gar nicht beschäftigt," said Hütter, who wants to choose the skipper himself. Among the candidates are veterans such as Mario Götze, who was present at the start of training along with striker Jonathan Burkardt.

Sportingly, Eintracht is looking at an early competitive start. The competitive season begins for the Hessians on 21 July; the following weekend marks the Bundesliga opener away to 1. [Opponent]. By then, Hütter wants above all to push forward the integration of players who are still missing after their international duty trips.

Focus on the competitive opener

Missing from the start of training, alongside World Cup participants from Asia, were players still involved with their national teams at the tournament. Eintracht professional Arthur Theate lost with Belgium on Friday evening in the World Cup quarter-final against Spain, 1:2. Aurele Amenda, playing with Switzerland, had reached the World Cup quarter-finals via a 4:3 penalty shoot-out win over Colombia, but had to play for a long time a man down after Breel Embolo was sent off in the 67th minute.

Hopes of a late World Cup outing rest on Ayoube Amaimouni-Echghouyab, nicknamed "Jupp." The attacking player, who joined Eintracht in the winter from TSG Hoffenheim's reserve team and immediately made 17 Bundesliga appearances, is hoping to feature for Morocco on Thursday evening in the World Cup quarter-final against France. In the round of 16, Morocco had lost 1:3 to Argentina after extra time.

Alongside sporting preparations, Eintracht is also dealing with legal questions. Krösche's lawyer assured "Bild": "Der Erwerb der Immobilie auf Dugi Otok stand in keinem Zusammenhang mit irgendwelchen Spielertransfers." He was responding to speculation that a property deal involving the sporting director might have been linked to earlier transfer decisions.

Outlook: Pivotal weeks ahead

Taken as a whole, Eintracht is facing a season with plenty of issues to address: the new coach must shape the team, the squad is set to change significantly, and the legal and media aftermath of the Riera separation has not yet been fully dealt with. The coming weeks until the competitive opener on 21 July are considered pivotal.

With Hütter's return, the club is also reminded of his first stint, during which the Frankfurt side won the DFB-Pokal in 2018. Across 93 matches on the touchline for the Hessians, the Austrian averaged 1.77 points per game. Before his time at AS Monaco (2023 to 2025), he had coached Borussia Mönchengladbach, among others, the club that had enabled his move to Frankfurt.