Eintracht Frankfurt Fanzone: Getting to know the 2018 DFB Cup winners
Planning a trip to Germany's financial capital to see the Eagles of Eintracht Frankfurt soar higher than the city's famous skyscrapers? bundesliga.com is on hand to make sure your stay is one to remember...
History
Founded on 8 March 1899 as Frankfurter Fußball-Club Victoria, a merger with Frankfurter Turngemeinde (a gymnastics club) in 1920 first introduced the word 'Eintracht' (united) into the official name.
Frankfurt's biggest success to date was winning the German championship in 1959 – a triumph made all the sweeter due to the fact they beat local rivals Kickers Offenbach 5-3 in the final – and they were also a founding member of the Bundesliga in 1963. They picked up silverware at regular intervals in the 1970s and 80s (see below), which was around the same time that an eagle was incorporated into the club's crest, giving the team their eponymous nickname.
More recently, Eintracht have bounced between Germany's top two divisions, although their last relegation was at the end of the 2010/11 campaign, and they have been in the Bundesliga uninterruptedly since 2012/13.
Coach
Adi Hütter has the unenviable task of replacing the hugely popular Niko Kovac in the Frankfurt hot seat after the latter was headhunted by Bayern Munich for 2018/19. Nevertheless, the 48-year-old Austrian, who was brought in on a three-year deal from Swiss top-flight side BSC Young Boys, has eye-catching credentials of his own.
Not only did he win the Swiss championship in 2017/18 (as well as reaching the cup final), he also guided former club Red Bull Salzburg to the Austrian league and cup double in 2014/15. Still not impressed? How about the fact that in 2013 he steered SV Gröding, a small, provincial Austrian team, to the second division title and followed it up with a third-placed finish in the top flight the following year?
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Last season
The Eagles were rather slow out of the blocks in 2017/18 and lost three of their first six Bundesliga matches. Yet once Kovac's side adapted to the new demands of their coach – fierce pressing, aggressive tackles and fast-paced transitions – results started to follow and they went on a seven-game unbeaten run before ending up in eighth place at the halfway stage.
Frankfurt had tailed off badly after the winter break the previous year, but there was no danger of that happening again under Kovac. Instead, they kept grinding out results and picking up points, finishing the campaign in eighth, just four points off the UEFA Europa League qualifying spots. Nevertheless, they still booked a return to continental competition thanks to a stunning 3-1 win over Bayern in the DFB Cup final in May to crown their season and allow Kovac to bow out on a high note.
In addition to hosting football matches - including men's and women's internationals - Frankfurt's home also regularly stages other major sporting and musical events. U2, The Rolling Stones, Depeche Mode and Bruce Springsteen have all played here, while heavyweight boxer Wladimir Klitschko successfully defended his world title in 2010.
The city
Frankfurt is the fifth largest city in Germany, with a population of almost 2.5 million people in its urban area. Famed as the country's beating financial heart, there is plenty more to see and do once you've finished marvelling at the skyscrapers in the banking district.
Getting there
Frankfurt is one of the most well-connected cities in Germany, a veritable transport hub of planes, trains, busses and trams that weave a web across every corner of the continent.
There are regular flights to and from Frankfurt International Airport from most major European and North American cities. And remember: this is Germany, so once you arrive, there will be no shortage of reliable public transport to take you wherever you need to go.
Getting to the Commerzbank-Arena
In most cases, tickets for Frankfurt's home games double up as your ticket for trains, trams and buses. If you're arriving on public transport, leave Frankfurt central station (Hauptbahnhof) on the overland trains S7 (to Goddelau-Erfelden), S8 and S9 (to Flughafen/airport or Wiesbaden) and head towards to 'Stadion'/stadium. Alternatively you can take tram 21.
If coming from the south (Südbahnhof), take bus 61 (towards Flughafen/airport) to the stop Stadion Osttribüne (Stadium east stand). For those coming directly from Frankfurt airport, use the overland trains S8 or S9 (to Frankfurt, Offenbach, Hanau) connect to Stadion/stadium.
If coming by car, take the A3 or A5 towards Frankfurt and then simply follow the road signs with a football symbol. From the city centre, take the river Main bridges towards the south, then take 'Kennedy Allee' until 'Oberforsthaus', where you can find stadium parking.
Watch on TV
If you can’t make it to the stadium, Bundesliga matches are broadcast around the world. FOX Sports and Univision provide coverage in the United States, while BT Sports are the exclusive broadcaster in the United Kingdom. In Germany, Sky Sports show the majority of matches, with Eurosport hosting one match per week.
Buying the kit
You can get your own Frankfurt jersey from the official club shop.
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