Eintracht Frankfurt

Eintracht Frankfurt can trace its history all the way back to 1899, when the two predecessor clubs were formed. These two clubs joined in 1911, and this new team, Frankfurter Fußball Verein, was an instant success, winning 3 league titles in a row. In 1920, Frankfurter FV joined with gymnastics club Frankfurter Turngemeinde von 1861 to form TuS Eintracht Frankfurt von 1861. Eintracht means harmony or concord in German so it is essentially the English equivalent of United.

The club had some small regional success in the 1920s and 30s, and after WWII it joined the newly formed first division, the Oberliga Süd. They won their first Hessenpokal in 1946 and their first league title in 1953. They won their second Oberliga in 1959, qualifying them in their second German championship, which they went on to win on penalties. This victory qualified them for the European Cup, where they made a name for themselves in by defeating Rangers 12-4 on aggregate before falling to Real Madrid in the final.

When the Bundesliga was formed in 1963, Frankfurt had established themselves as a quality side and were admitted as a founding club. In their first season, they finished 3rd in the league, which has been their best finish to date. They remained in the Bundesliga for another 32 years, during which time they finished in the top half of the league. But their real success was in cup competitions. From 1973 to 1981, they won 3 DFB-Pokals and the UEFA Cup (now known as the Europa League).

However, following this success the club had some very near misses with relegation battles, with a brief break to win the DFB-Pokal in 1988. They seemed to be back on the right track in the early 90s, before being relegated for the first time in 1996. They stayed down for just two seasons, making it back up in 1998 but barely avoiding relegation the very next year. The early 2000s saw Frankfurt become somewhat of a yo-yo club, bouncing between the 1st and 2nd division. They came back up in 2005 and were in the Bundesliga until 2011 when they were relegated again. They came straight back up and have remained in the Bundesliga ever since. 

Frankfurt won another DFB-Pokal in 2018 against heavy favorites Bayern Munich, to avenge their loss in the final the previous year. They also reached the 2019 Europa League Semifinal, before losing to Chelsea on penalties. They had another historic European run in 2022, when they won the Europa League Final after beating Barcelona, West Ham, and eventually Rangers in the final in Seville.

2023-24 SEASON: 6th in Bundesliga (Qualified for Europa League), DFB-Pokal Round of 16

2024-25 SEASON: Bundesliga, UEFA Europa League

The club shares a number of rivalries including ones with Kickers Offenbach, Darmstadt 98, 1. FSV Mainz 05, and 1. FC Kaiserslautern. Currently Mainz is the only club who are also in the Bundesliga, which has allowed this rivalry to continue for the last several seasons.

Frankfurt’s women’s team was originally founded as SG Praunheim in 1973. The club did not have many major successes early on, but did qualify for the Bundesliga when it was founded in 1990. The club hit their stride in the early 2000s when they won 7 league titles from 1999 to 2008. They also won 9 DFB-Pokal titles from 1999 to 2014. Along with their domestic success, they have also won 4 UEFA Champions League titles.

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Frankfurt moved into the Riederwaldstadion in 1920 and have remained there ever since. The ground has undergone multiple renovations for the 2006 World Cup, and for Bundesliga action. The capacity is 58,000 making it one of the largest stadiums in Germany and although it is officially known as Deutsche Bank Park, many supporters still refer to it as the Riederwaldstadion.

GETTING THERE: It’s about three miles south of the city center, so it’s probably best to take tram 20 or 21 from the main train station (Hauptbahnhof).

PUBS and GRUB: There’s nothing out by the stadium. The Kleinmarkthalle is particularly recommended as a place to eat.

AROUND TOWN: Known mainly as a business and financial center, Frankfurt doesn’t get a lot of tourist traffic. For a sense of its size and architecture, go up the Main Tower; for a taste of history, head for the old square, the Römerberg, or the Frankfurt Historical Museum for a model of the city in the 1920s — well before it was destroyed during World War II.