Eintracht Frankfurt chairman Axel Hellmann has declared the construction of a new stadium the club's top priority. The current Deutsche Bank Park, opened in 2005, has a clear expiry date, meaning planning must start immediately. This long-term planning comes as the team sits 11th in the Bundesliga with 8 points from six games, six points behind leaders Bayern München.

Hellmann said that if planning does not start now, there will be no new stadium in ten years. He stressed the three-decade lifecycle of modern arenas and referred to the current stadium's opening year.

2038 Deadline Set

Hellmann set a concrete target of having a new arena completed by 2038 at the latest. The club has already commissioned a feasibility study, with results expected at a later date. This will determine whether a complete rebuild or an expansion is the better solution. Capacity could rise from the current 60,100 seats. Hellmann wants more standing areas but also a modern multi-purpose arena for concerts and other events.

The chairman also pointed to Germany's planned bid for a future World Cup, where Frankfurt is set to be a prominent host city. A new stadium would be a fundamental requirement for this. Hellmann nevertheless described the current arena as the most successful in Europe after London's Wembley.

Planning Focus Amid Ongoing Season

The stadium debate runs parallel to the current Bundesliga campaign. Eintracht Frankfurt sit 11th in the standings after six matchdays. The team faces Borussia Dortmund in a top-of-the-table clash this Saturday. Sporting development and long-term infrastructure planning are now running in parallel for the club. Frankfurt heads into the away match against the current second-placed side in strong recent form, with three wins, one draw, and one loss from their last five matches. Their most recent result was a 1-0 home win over 1. FC Köln, with the goal scored by Younes Ebnoutalib, who is the team's top scorer this season with five goals. The team has scored 10 goals but conceded 16 so far this campaign.

This story first appeared at welt.de