When people talk about the Eagles visiting the Foals, chances are they are referring to the annual Bundesliga encounter between two of Germany’s most traditional top-flight clubs. However, that is not the case at the Frankfurt Americas Tour 2024, with an Eagles delegation swapping Louisville, Kentucky for Indiana to visit the Indianapolis Colts.
The team, comprising board member for sport Markus Krösche, head of media and communications Jan Martin Strasheim, head of international relations and sports projects Samy Hamama, deputy chairman of the supervisory board Sven Janssen, aide to the board member for sport Ole Siegel, sporting director Timmo Hardung and project manager Anna Faller, made the most of the short distance between the two cities to take a closer look at the Colts’ infrastructure and speak to the people in charge of the American football club.
The Colts, who have won three NFL championships and lifted the last of their two Super Bowls in 2007, opened their doors to Eintracht, giving the club access to the museum area, TV studios, changing rooms, a separate event area for external purposes and, last but not least, the office of CEO and owner James Irsay. Larry C. Hall, vice president of special projects and historical affairs, also gave the Eagles delegation the opportunity to delve into the Colts’ history books in the impressive museum room inside Irsay’s office.
Like Eintracht, who have been working hard on the pitch over the past few days, the Colts are also busy preparing for their new season. Coach Shane Steichen is putting his players through their paces around 30 minutes from their idyllically situated headquarters, with around 2,000 spectators watching the team go about their business in perfect conditions in their latest 90-minute session. As the Eintracht delegation watched on from the sidelines, Krösche and Hardung took part in the obligatory shirt exchange with Colts COO Pete Ward.
This, of course, is not the first time that Eintracht Frankfurt has formed lasting bonds with a US-based sports team. A partnership with third-division football side Forward Madison has been in place since 2021, while the Eagles also entered into a strategic partnership with the Carolina Panthers in 2022. And that’s not to mention the magnificent NFL Frankfurt Games in 2023.
Eintracht Frankfurt looks forward to welcoming Indianapolis Colts in the heart of Europe in the not-too-distant future!
