Harmony with fans in Naples?
“Idiots” make Glasner clueless before the game of fate
03/12/2023 11:14 am
There is a lot of excitement at Eintracht Frankfurt ahead of the round of 16 second leg in the Champions League. Fans may now be allowed to travel with them, but there is also a lack of playful class. It’s been going downhill for weeks. Coach Oliver Glasner puzzles why – and only finds an unsatisfactory answer.
Just before the game of fate, Oliver Glasner suddenly seemed at a loss. The Eintracht Frankfurt coach shrugged and spread his arms questioningly. The team played “the best first half of the Bundesliga season in the club’s history”, are “in the last 16 of the Champions League for the first time”, are “in the quarter-finals of the DFB Cup” – “and we have no self-confidence,” he said. His conclusion? “We’re jerks.”
The ease with which the Frankfurters had caused enthusiasm for large parts of this season has vanished for weeks, the search for it is unsuccessful. Shortly before the premier class cracker at SSC Naples, the 1-1 (0-0) against VfB Stuttgart caused disillusionment. Even the legal success with regard to the possible admission of Eintracht fans in the round of 16 second leg brightened the mood after the poor dress rehearsal only a little.
Because: The fact that the responsible administrative court in Italy has overturned the exclusion of the Frankfurt supporters is “surprising”, said Eintracht lawyer Philipp Reschke, but the joy about it must be “subject to reservations. It can take a further turn in all directions “. He assumes “that the current status quo will change”. There is great concern about riots in Italy.
Eintracht hopes for “boost”
At Eintracht, they expect that the Prefecture of Naples will appeal. All Frankfurters who canceled their flights and hotels after the Italian Ministry of the Interior banned ticket sales can reschedule – but again without certainty. A final decision about the guest contingent could be made on Monday or Tuesday – and thus only shortly before the game on Wednesday (9 p.m. / DAZN and in the ntv.de live ticker).
It could give the team “a boost” in this difficult phase if the fans were allowed into the stadium, said captain Sebastian Rode, who had scored the lead against VfB (55th). Because Silas (75th) still equalized, Glasner’s hoped-for sporting sense of achievement did not materialize.
Glasner is still looking for a “switch” for self-confidence
With or without fans – one way or the other, Eintracht has to improve in order to turn the 0-2 from the first leg at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Top performers like Mario Götze are looking for their top form, goalscorer Randal Kolo Muani, who will be missing in Naples, lacks support and the defense is shaky. “There are such phases in football and in life when not everything is so easy,” said Glasner, who spread hope despite the uninspired appearance.
“We’re preparing so that we can still do what nobody thinks we can do. We’ll put everything we have on the scales,” promised the Frankfurt coach. At first, Glasner didn’t know how to do that. He had “already looked for the switch in the dressing room” to turn on self-confidence again, “but haven’t found it yet”.