Eintracht Frankfurt confirm departure of club legend Alex Meier
Veteran striker Alex Meier will leave Eintracht Frankfurt when his contract expires at the end of June, the club confirmed on Monday.
Meier turned 35 in January, and Eintracht have opted not to renew the contract of a player who made just one appearance in 2017/18.
Translation: We say goodbye to a legend, to "Fussballgott!"
"We know what a great servant Alex has been," said sporting director Fredi Bobic to the club's official website. "He's remained loyal to the club for many years and played a major part in ensuring that the club are now an established in the Bundesliga after a tough period."
After a year out on the sidelines, Meier celebrated a glorious return to first-team action on Matchday 33 of the 2017/18 season, coming off the bench to score the third goal in a 3-0 win over Hamburg. It was the target man's 93rd Bundesliga goal and the last of the 137 he notched for Eintracht since signing for the club way back in 2004. He then rounded off his career with the Eagles by accompanying his team-mates as they paraded the DFB Cup around Berlin's Olympiastadion after their 3-1 victory over Bayern Munich on 19 May.
Watch: Meier's final goal for Frankfurt
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A hugely popular player for the duration of his time on the River Main - he is affectionately named "Fussballgott", or "football god" by the fans - Meier's most successful campaign came in 2014/15, when he scored 19 goals and finished top of the Bundesliga scoring charts, winning the coveted Torjägerkanone award ahead of the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Having scored 144 career goals, however, Meier himself insists his playing career is not over just yet and says he intends to find a new club. "Eintracht has been my footballing home for 14 years, and it's always meant a lot to play for this club," said the Buchholz native. "Everyone knows I'd gladly have continued playing for Frankfurt but I obviously respect the club's decision.
"I feel fit and I've worked very hard to come back in the last few months. I want to carry on playing. That's the most important thing for me at present."