Eintracht Frankfurt has the clear potential to become a permanent top-five club in the Bundesliga. That is the view of Christian Seifert, the former chief executive of the DFL who has lived in Frankfurt for over twenty years.

The 57-year-old, who now chairs the supervisory board of the German Sports Aid Foundation among other roles, made the comments during an interview at the Frankfurt WM-Arena. He sees the club's development over the past decade as the foundation for an even greater future. "It was an outstanding summer of sport. We had the equestrian World Championships in Aachen, which was magnificent," said Seifert, referencing the positive mood in German sport.

The Foundation for the Rise

Seifert, whose daughters participated in sports at the club and who calls Eintracht his favourite team, pointed to the key relegation play-off against 1. FC Nürnberg in May 2016. In the ten years that followed, Eintracht showed exceptional stability with only five head coaches. For comparison, Bayern Munich had seven managers in the same period, while clubs like Schalke 04 or Hertha BSC had ten to twelve. This continuity at the top, with everyone pulling in the same direction, was the key according to Seifert.

Current Challenges and Potential

He currently perceives "some unrest" at Eintracht Frankfurt. But if those in charge continue to act with discipline, a clear path forward is open. "Eintracht Frankfurt has the clear potential to become and remain a top-five club," Seifert is convinced. This assessment comes as the team under coach Dino Toppmöller sits ninth in the Bundesliga table. After three matchdays, Eintracht have four points, having scored seven goals and conceded eight.

The most recent performance, a 3-1 away win at FSV Mainz 05 last Saturday, shows the quality present. A look at the stats from the last five competitive games, however, reveals inconsistent form with two wins, one draw and two defeats (WLDWL). Ahead of the important home match against current leaders SC Freiburg this Saturday, the team must find consistency. The current injury list featuring Ansgar Knauff, Jessic Ngankam, Farès Chaïbi and Oscar Højlund presents an additional challenge.

Broader Sports Policy Context

The conversation with Seifert also touched on broader sports policy topics. He discussed Germany's bid for the Olympic Games, with Berlin, Rhein-Ruhr and Munich in the running. The IOC decision falls on September 24. He also advocates for a new sports promotion law, to be decided in autumn, which envisions a central funding agency modelled on the English system. England improved from 36th place at the 1996 Atlanta Games to third at their home Games in London 2012.

On the German national football team and coach Jürgen Klopp, who also sits on the Sports Aid supervisory board, Seifert had a clear message. He quoted former national team boss Rudi Völler: "Football is simple, every now and then you have to win." For Eintracht Frankfurt, this simple formula now applies in the direct duel with the league leaders. A win against Freiburg could pave the way into the upper half of the table and bring Seifert's vision a step closer.

This story first appeared at Bild Sport