Markus Krösche is no longer the board member for sport at Eintracht Frankfurt. The 46-year-old requested to step down with immediate effect, a move granted by the club's supervisory board. The team currently sits 11th in the Bundesliga with 8 points from two wins, two draws and two defeats.
President Mathias Beck confirmed the board had accepted Krösche's request. "Markus Krösche played a key role in shaping Eintracht Frankfurt in recent years and made a major contribution to the club’s success on the pitch," Beck said. The decision ends the sporting director's five-year tenure ahead of schedule, as his contract was originally set to run until 30 June 2028.
Krösche joined Frankfurt from RB Leipzig in 2021. A year later, he oversaw the club's triumphant UEFA Europa League campaign, the greatest achievement in its recent history. During his time, he built a reputation for shrewd transfer business, acquiring talents like Hugo Ekitike, Randal Kolo Muani, Omar Marmoush and Nathaniel Brown and selling them on for significant profits.
"The past few years at Eintracht Frankfurt have been an extraordinary, intense and unforgettable period for me," Krösche said upon his departure. His exit comes just days after the team's 1-0 home win against 1. FC Köln on Saturday 16 October, with Younes Ebnoutalib scoring the 77th-minute winner. In the current Bundesliga season, Eintracht sit 11th in the standings with eight points from six matches. Their recent form across the last five games reads three wins, one draw and one defeat, which includes a 6-0 loss at RB Leipzig on 10 October and a 4-0 victory over Eintracht Braunschweig on 2 October.
Transition and Future
CEO Axel Hellmann will assume sporting responsibilities on an interim basis. The club has also seen the return of familiar face Adi Hütter as head coach. The leadership change coincides with a period where the team has shown improved form, winning three of its last five games. The next challenge is a tough away fixture against second-placed Borussia Dortmund on Saturday 24 October.
The club must now regroup. The interim leadership under Hellmann and Hütter's return aim to provide stability in a season where the side has scored 10 goals but conceded 16, resulting in a goal difference of minus six. Sitting six points off the top, the target remains closing the gap to the European places. Top scorer Younes Ebnoutalib, who netted the winner against Köln, has five goals this season. A permanent appointment for the sporting director role will be addressed in the coming weeks.
This story first appeared at bundesliga.com
