Eintracht Frankfurt doesn't think it's the end of development and wants to continue working on perfecting the game idea. There is time for that during the World Cup break.
Mainz (dpa/lhe) - Eintracht Frankfurt caused a sensation this year like seldom before, but still has a lot planned after the longest winter break in the Bundesliga. "Now we can relax in order to start climbing the next peak," said head coach Oliver Glasner after the 1-1 (0-1) game on Sunday in the last competitive game of the shortened first half of the season at FSV Mainz 05. After the European League triumph and reaching the round of 16 in the Champions League and in the DFB Cup, the Austrian coach still sees potential for improvement and further development.
Glasner wants to make intensive use of the two-month break due to the World Cup in Qatar, when his football pros have regained their strength on vacation after the 24-match marathon since the start of the season. After all, the training in the many English weeks was mostly just a minimalist accessory.
"Our average training time last time was 35 minutes," said Glasner. It was a great experience for him how a team could develop "almost without training time". "We want to use the months to refine our game idea, especially our defensive behavior. If we find a flaw, it's conceding too many goals."
This will to perfection sounds like a declaration of war from fourth in the table against the clubs Bayern Munich, SC Freiburg, RB Leipzig and the pursuers 1. FC Union Berlin or Borussia Dortmund. "We're going into the winter break with a good feeling, we've scored 27 points," said Eintracht sporting director Markus Krösche - thanks to the 32 goals scored and despite the 24 goals conceded. "You can see the development of the team. We're doing a lot of things better in the new season that we missed in the last round."
The big question will be whether, after the long break, and despite more training opportunities, it will be possible to pick up the performances again - driven by an irrepressible will to win and great team spirit. Bundesliga action against Schalke 04 continues on January 21, followed by the duels at second-placed SC Freiburg and against leaders Bayern Munich. A month later on February 21, the Hessians will fight SSC Naples in the round of 16 first leg.
For the time being, there is no time to think about how things could continue in the coming year. Eight Frankfurt national players are at the World Cup in Qatar, the others left on Monday for a Japan tour with two games against the J1-League teams Urawa Red Diamonds (Wednesday) and Gamba Osaka (Saturday).
While Eintracht wants to increase their awareness and market value in Japan, the players would have preferred to have finished work and gone on vacation. "We want to present ourselves properly there," said sports director Krösche on the one hand, but also said: "But it's going down a gear." Glasner commented somewhat sarcastically on the trip after the ordeal of the game with many English weeks: "We played a little too little. We're just in the flow."
