In Frankfurt these days, the transfer market isn’t the only thing crackling. The air around Eintracht’s power axis has turned heavy with rumours, counter-rumours and the unmistakable scent of internal politics.
At the centre of it all: Markus Krösche.
Supervisory board closes ranks around Krösche
While one tabloid paints the picture of a sporting chief on borrowed time, the mood inside Eintracht Frankfurt sounds very different. According to research by specialist magazine kicker, backed by conversations with several figures at the top of the club, neither Krösche nor Eintracht are working toward a separation this summer.
Quite the opposite. The 43-year-old is said to enjoy “full backing” from the SGE supervisory board.
That directly contradicts a report from Bild, which claimed that the supervisory board meeting on 2 September would be used to discuss how to engineer an early end to Krösche’s tenure. Supervisory board chairman and club president Mathias Beck has now shot that down in clear terms.
He stressed that Wednesday’s gathering is a long-scheduled, routine meeting, covering all summer topics, including the sporting side. On Krösche, Beck pointed to the existing contract through 2028, the sporting director’s public commitment to Eintracht Frankfurt just two months ago, and his current work in the “final straight” of the transfer window. From his perspective, there is “no reason to speculate” about Krösche’s future.
“Stink bombs” and vanity: unrest behind the scenes
Inside the club, kicker encountered something close to disbelief at the talk of a looming split. Those spoken to were said to be genuinely surprised, not acting out a pre-arranged line.
The impression: someone, somewhere, is lighting “stink bombs” to stir up unrest, driven by the vanities of certain individuals. Who exactly is behind it, and how Bild am Sonntag obtained its information, remains “mysterious”. But the episode underlines a deeper unease – the sense that not everyone at Eintracht is currently pulling in the same direction.
On Sky90, Lothar Matthäus struck a similar chord on Sunday evening. The record Germany international suggested that “something is being played behind the scenes” against Krösche, hinting that jealousy could be in play.
What there has not been, according to kicker, is the major internal bust-up that Bild had also suggested. Reports of a serious falling-out between sporting director Krösche and coach Adi Hütter are said to be wide of the mark. The Austrian coach is certainly not thrilled that key decisions dragged on until around the start of the season, but talk of open conflict is considered exaggerated.
Hütter, crucially, did get two of his preferred signings: goalkeeper Noah Atubolu and centre-back Lilian Brassier.
A turbulent window and big-money exits on the horizon
All of this plays out against a backdrop of a transfer window that has been anything but straightforward. Even after the opening matchday, when Eintracht somehow let a 3-1 lead at Union Berlin slip late and left the capital with only a point, the squad remains in flux.
There is still hope of another loan deal for Arnau Kalimuendo, who impressed in the second half of last season with six goals in 19 games on loan from Nottingham. Kicker reports that a renewed temporary move remains on the table.
On the outgoing side, the numbers are significant. A move for Hugo Larsson to the Premier League could bring in up to €25 million. The midfielder recently travelled to London with Eintracht’s permission to hold talks with two clubs, one of them Crystal Palace.
Jean-Matteo Bahoya was also expected to swell the coffers. His proposed transfer to Hull City was set to bring in almost €20 million, but according to Sport1, the player himself turned the deal down.
Another sale, not originally planned, could still emerge in the final hours of the window. Matching media reports say Al-Ittihad are pushing hard for Ritsu Doan, with a move to Saudi Arabia for around €18 million now regarded as likely.
Put together, Eintracht could yet bank more than €60 million in transfer fees before the deadline. That kind of business would usually be framed as a Krösche speciality. This time, it has been overshadowed by the noise around his own position.
Milan’s millions rejected, pressure at home rises
The timing of the current debate is striking. Only a few weeks ago, AC Milan tried and failed to lure Krösche away from Frankfurt. In June, he gave the Rossoneri a definitive “no” and, according to kicker, turned down a highly lucrative personal package in the process. The offer is said to have been worth €40 million over four years.
He stayed. Now he finds himself under the harshest glare since arriving in 2021.
The first real cracks in his standing appeared last season, despite a track record of excellent sales and squad building. The trigger was the appointment of Albert Riera, a decision Krösche had pushed strongly after the dismissal of Dino Toppmöller.
Riera’s tenure collapsed in dramatic fashion. He alienated both fans and players, failed to impose a convincing style, and was gone again after just 14 matches. Eintracht limped to eighth place, and for the first time in the Krösche era, missed out on European football.
That failure has coloured everything since. Every delay in the transfer market, every rumour of internal disagreement, now lands on a more fragile foundation.
Krösche keeps his guard up
On Saturday in Berlin, after the frustrating draw at Union, Krösche faced the microphones. He did not bite on the speculation.
“We’re talking about football,” he said shortly after the final whistle. Asked again about the rumours, he requested they “leave it at that”.
He knows this window will help define his next phase at Eintracht. Big sales, a squad in transition, a coach with clear demands and a fanbase still smarting from last season – the margin for error is thin.
The backing from the supervisory board is clear, at least for now. The question is whether, once the dust of this chaotic summer settles, everyone at Eintracht Frankfurt will still be willing – or able – to march behind the man they insist they trust.
