Eintracht Frankfurt: “What’s going on here breaks all boundaries” – Sport
When captain Sebastian Rode appeared on the balcony of Frankfurt City Hall at 9:35 p.m. and goalkeeper Kevin Trapp raised the silver trophy next to him, the Römerberg turned into a madhouse with around 8,000 cheering and dancing Eintracht fans. “Here’s the thing, now let’s keep partying,” says Rode in a hoarse voice.
One day after the “Fiesta of Seville” with the 5:4 final triumph on penalties against Glasgow Rangers, Eintracht Frankfurt organized a party of a hitherto unknown dimension. There was a state of emergency in Frankfurt – despite the storm that had hit in the early evening. A total of 100,000 supporters were expected in the city center.
The car parade from the airport to Frankfurt’s Römer took well over three hours, where tens of thousands of people had already gathered at lunchtime to celebrate their loved ones on the balcony. Club legend Karl-Heinz Körbel, who was there in 1980 when he won the first international title, kept shaking his head in disbelief at the overwhelming reception. “What’s going on here breaks all boundaries. It goes down in the history of Eintracht Frankfurt. This fan culture is unique,” said the Bundesliga record player.
The Eintracht entourage landed at the airport on time, but the journey to Römer, ten kilometers away, was delayed because the convertibles were repeatedly stopped by enthusiastic supporters. Even before the arrival pouring rain, accompanied by lightning and thunder. However, that didn’t dampen the mood. In any case, the fans sing loud hymns like “We are all Frankfurt boys” or “Here the SBU rules”.
The supporters of the Bundesliga team also showed patience after the team arrived, until Trapp, who killed the penalty, or Rafael Borré, who shot in the last ball from the spot, showed up on the balcony. At a ceremony in the Kaisersaal of the town hall, the city honored the success of Eintracht with an entry in the Golden Book. “What a triumph, what a team. Our grandchildren will still remember this victory,” said Lord Mayor Peter Feldmann (SPD).
Winning a European title for the first time in 42 years not only gives Frankfurt a boost, but also more spectators for German football and a lot of impetus for the traditional club, which now has 100,000 members. Unthinkable when Eintracht, who made it into the Champions League by winning the European Cup, also caused a sensation in the Supercup on August 10th. Then the opponent in Helsinki is Liverpool FC or Real Madrid.
The football professionals had celebrated the fairytale success extensively until 6 a.m. in a club in Seville. “It was very merry,” reported board spokesman Axel Hellmann to Hessischer Rundfunk during the drive to the city and happily rejoiced over “a great community with great cohesion”. Eintracht coach Oliver Glasner wanted to continue partying after the big party: “We’ll see how the night goes.”
After the final whistle on Thursday night, the big party of the Eintracht supporters who had gotten out of control in the pubs and streets of the Hessian metropolis also kicked off. The cheers, chants and the constant honking of the car horns didn’t end until dawn. Around 60,000 fans alone witnessed the game of the century for the Hessians at the public viewing in the Frankfurt stadium.