Crowds celebrate the Europa League winners on their return to Frankfurt and give the team an unforgettable welcome. In addition to the title, the club is also happy about participating in the premier class.
There it is! Coach Oliver Glasner (left) and captain Sebastian Rode (right) present the trophy
“What's going on here breaks all boundaries. It will go down in the history of Eintracht Frankfurt. This fan culture is unique,” said Bundesliga record player Karl-Heinz Körbel. The Frankfurt club legend, who had previously won the only international title in 1980, kept shaking his head in disbelief at the overwhelming reception. Meanwhile, the pros enjoyed bathing in the crowd. The return home with the silver trophy was a unique triumph for the Euro heroes Eintracht Frankfurt.
An estimated 200,000 people celebrated coach Oliver Glasner and his players the day after winning the Europa League. “The best thing about success is how happy people are,” emphasized Glasner. The car parade from the airport to the Römer in Frankfurt lasted well over three hours, where tens of thousands of people had gathered by midday to celebrate their loved ones on the balcony.
A quantum leap in sporting and financial terms
Before the mega party in Frankfurt, the players had turned night into day after winning the penalty 5: 4 drama against the Scottish runners-up. “It was boozy and lasted until six in the morning,” said spokesman Axel Hellmann after landing in Frankfurt about the lavish victory celebrations in a posh club in the southern Spanish metropolis. Even the otherwise so calm Glasner – who hardly let the trophy out of his hand during the motorcade through the city – mutated into a party beast. “I let the pig out and party until Saturday – and on Sunday I'm going on vacation,” announced the 47-year-old soccer teacher from Austria.
“It will take a few years before you realize the consequences,” said team captain Sebastian Rode, who suffered a head wound. And goalkeeper Kevin Trapp emphasized: “We've always looked for superlatives, but there's just no word to describe it.” In addition to the victory in the Europa League, the Frankfurters have also secured participation in the Champions League. Sportingly and financially, this means a quantum leap for the traditional club. “Of course, the additional income after two years of Corona is good. That will help us a lot for the future,” said sports director Markus Krösche. The additional money will certainly also help when signing new players and when negotiating contracts with stars like Filip Kostic.
Real or Liverpool as a reward
At the same time, Eintracht, with their great performances in Europe, for example against FC Barcelona, also the Bundesliga international reputation. After all, the last German title win in this competition was 25 years ago. “This is an outstanding success for Eintracht Frankfurt and also for German football,” said Hans-Joachim Watzke, chairman of the supervisory board of the German Football League and managing director of runners-up Borussia Dortmund. “I can only say: Welcome to the Champions League.”
Eintracht will have a foretaste of the premier class on August 10th at the European Supercup. Then the opponent in Helsinki is either FC Liverpool or Real Madrid.
asz (dpa)