The banquet, which took place just around the corner from the Brandenburg Gate, was an emotional affair. Captain David Abraham and his Eagles team-mates were met by hundreds of SGE fans upon their arrival from the Olympiastadion, proudly showing off the trophy on a balcony overlooking the square before making their way down onto a specially erected stage to greet the many guests. Axel Hellmann, who has been on the Eintracht board since 2012, was particularly moved after watching the club lift their first major trophy in three decades.
A famous night
“These players have shown great team spirit and a brilliant attitude,” enthused Bobic. “Every one of them has played their part in this historic achievement.” Addressing head coach Niko Kovac, the 46-year-old added: “We played together [at Hertha BSC from 2003 to 2005] but we hadn’t got to know each other properly until now. You set the team up brilliantly. Thank you for that, and thank you for two wonderful years at Eintracht Frankfurt.” President of the German Football Association (DFB) Reinhard Grindel, meanwhile, felt the Eagles “wanted it more” than their opponents following the 3-1 triumph against the Bundesliga champions.
“Football writes the most beautiful stories”
The SGE supporters burst into song as soon as the players and staff appeared on stage, breaking into a rousing rendition of “So sehen Sieger aus” (“That’s what winners look like”). “I want to thank you all for sticking by me these last two years,” a visibly moved Kovac told them. “We survived the relegation play-off, managed to stabilise the club and then lost the cup final in 2017. Football writes the most beautiful stories, though. We’ve now won the club’s first trophy in 30 years.” Kovac then called for a round of applause for his players before adding: “I’ve had two wonderful years here. I’ll never forget you and I’ll never forget this club.”
Parade at city hall
The Eintracht players and staff will parade the trophy at Frankfurt city hall later today. They are due to land back at Frankfurt airport just before 16:00 CEST before heading in convoy to the city centre, where they will be greeted once again by countless Eagles fans.
