Eintracht Frankfurt: Board member Axel Hellmann: “I believe in a Bundesliga boom” – Bundesliga
Schalke and Werder are back in the Bundesliga, Lautern in the 2nd division and Rot-Weiss Essen in the 3rd division.
German football is currently experiencing the resurrection of traditional clubs. One is particularly happy about it: Axel Hellmann (50). “That’s good for German football,” he says.
And then Eintracht’s board spokesman explains why: “You could already see that on the home stretch last season, what force is unleashed here after the pandemic, when the fan base is there. We will also notice this at our home games, when the guest block will probably be sold out again at all the big traditional clubs. There are clubs where it gets tingling in the morning when you know that there will be a match in the afternoon.”
Just a year ago, Hellmann warned against the so-called “dwarfing” of the Bundesliga. Because clubs like Fürth or Bielefeld don’t have this fan base and are therefore less attractive – especially in terms of media marketing.
Now he expects an upswing. “After we had rather weak coverage in the past season, I believe in a boom in the Bundesliga, triggered by the renaissance of traditional clubs.”
The Eintracht boss sees one of the main reasons for the return of this club in the large fan base. Because that always means identification, emotional power and reach – and thus more money.
Hellmann: “Without this power, it’s much more difficult to fill your stadium, sell your gangs, use your VIP area to capacity. We, of all people, notice that the arguments on the pitch go hand in hand with those off the pitch if you want to be successful.”
It’s correct. Eintracht has been the best example of what is possible in the symbiosis with the fans in recent years. The cup victory in 2018 and the triumph in the Europa League are only the culmination of this close connection.
And there is a club that Hellmann believes is capable of a similar path for precisely this reason: 1. FC Köln. “I am sure that Cologne WILL make a huge journey through the Conference League in the coming season. We’ll see where that can lead in the end.”