Eintracht Frankfurt: The Hinti Dilemma | Unity
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fromIngo Durstewitz
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Eintracht cult player Martin Hinteregger is currently sitting outside at Eintracht Frankfurt, for which there are good reasons – comeback in Istanbul?
Eintracht coach Oliver Glasner simply circumnavigated the expected inquiry about the cult figure and moderated it easily. The question was loosely translated: What is actually going on with good old Martin Hinteregger, why is he now allowed to watch games only from the bench, Hinti is the Hinti, in Frankfurt a matador with hero status. And yes, of course, a good defender is also one of international stature.
Glasner found the admission right after the 2: 3 defeat in Sinsheim not that tingling, but reacted confidently. “We should talk about the game and the players who played,” he said, then clarified what is obvious: “The back three has done very, very well in the last few weeks. That’s why I decided to keep them together like that. ”A more than plausible reason. And that’s exactly why the Hinteregger topic is not a political issue. Actually.
No free ticket
But it is also clear that the 29-year-old is not happy about the current situation and that he enjoys a special status in Frankfurt. He is adored by the fans because he is just the way he is, authentic, tangible, not slick and streamlined, but actually something unique. And, see above, you mustn’t forget: In top form, the Austrian national player definitely belongs to the upper division of the Bundesliga. Hinteregger is not in top form, not since the beginning of the season, at times he seemed strangely lethargic and absent.
Maybe that was due to the short summer break, finally he was still in action for his home country at the European Championships. In any case, Topfit has not started his job in Frankfurt, trained looks different. And then there was the story of the shoulder, where two ligaments were torn. If an athlete fails with this, the indestructible defensive edge dies but bit his teeth, threw himself enough medication and was happy to be at the service of the team – despite massive pain. That honors and shows what kind of wood he is made of. But of course he wasn’t in the best shape.
Before the game against SC Freiburg, he also injured his ankle, which is why he got the break that the constant player probably needed anyway; the constant loads were just too much – for the body and also for the head.
Coach Glasner installed the Japanese old master Makoto Hasebe as a libero for the sick defensive head, a clever gambit war. Eintracht promptly not only got three wins in a row, but also increased playfully many times over. This is primarily due to the footballing class and the game intelligence of the veteran Hasebe.
“Makoto is a key to the way we play football,” said sports director Markus Krösche. At the 37-year-old’s side, the young Tuta and Evan Ndicka also matured and found new strengths. In short: The defensive network harmonized and was stable, which is why there was no reason for the coach to change anything. Sufferer: Martin Hinteregger. He’s in a dilemma.
“Hinti is of course an important player for us. At the moment he doesn’t play that often, but that’s not due to the fact that he’s not that good, but because the others did it well, ”says sports director Krösche. Exactly that is the crux of the matter: Glasner’s completely understandable and correct decision is not against his compatriot, but for dying players who have done an outstanding job for at least three games. In Hoffenheim it didn’t work out that well anymore.
In general, Krösche thinks that Hinteregger has to accept the dying situation and offer himself through training. A free ticket is not even for such a well-deserved player, which would also be absurd and would invalidate the performance principle. “We live in a performance society,” explains Krösche. “He has to wait for his options. We still have a lot of games. “
It would not be surprising if the former Augsburg player were to play in the last Europa League group game at Fenerbahce Istanbul on Thursday (6.45 p.m. / RTL +). On the one hand, Hasebe could certainly use a break, on the other hand, the game in the cauldron on the Bosporus would be just the right thing for the down-to-earth guy Hinteregger, who often outgrows himself in hot, heated games. In Istanbul it’s about group victory and direct qualification for the round of 16.
In “normal” matches against a lightweight in the league it can happen that a small motivation hole tears open and he does not get going. Hinteregger needs the kick, the adrenaline and a suitable opponent for his best possible performance. The gladiatorial attrition battle against Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud has not been forgotten to this day.
Rabbit and Hinti? Rather not
In any case, the experienced defensive player will improve and adapt his game to the changed requirements. When do the many long balls have to be banished from his repertoire, they do not correspond to the idea of how Eintracht wants to play their game. “Long balls are not ideal for the way we want to play and for the players we have,” adds Krösche. Hinteregger can also play sharp flat passes through midfield, he just has to do it.
Ex-trainer Adi Hütter, time badly shaken in Gladbach, is currently most comfortable extending whenebe and Hinteregger are on the field together, because then the build-up of the game was better. The problem then as now: Evan Ndicka, who is in good shape and already standing in the shop window, would have to give way (most unlikely to give way) or one of the left-footers (Hinteregger or Ndicka) on the right would have to defend instead of Tuta. Most football teachers don’t like that. Sooner or later it will be called: Hasebe or Hinteregger. There can only be one.