Eintracht fans of a certain age often refer to the Eagles as the ‘Moody Diva’, capable of producing extraordinary performances one week and losing to overwhelming underdogs the next. Karl-Heinz Körbel’s Bundesliga debut was a case in point: Eintracht got the better of Bayern Munich in his first game for the club, only to come unstuck at Oberhausen in their next match. Other encounters with SV Flörsheim (1936), Jahn Regensburg (1958), Karlsruher SC (1964), FC Hansa Rostock (1992), VfB Oldenburg (1996), VfB Stuttgart II (2000) and 1. FC Saarbrücken (2023) all conjure up unpleasant memories for Eagles supporters of multiple generations.
Always good for an upset
Eintracht have upset the odds themselves on just as many occasions, beating the likes of Rangers in 1960 (6-1), Bayern in 1975 (6-0), Real Madrid in 1983 (2-1) and Barcelona in 2022 (3-2). However, getting hold of a ticket for Eintracht’s biggest games has not always been straightforward: When the Eagles faced Saarbrücken in the 1988/89 relegation/promotion play-offs, a lack of available tickets at the gates meant thousands of fans only made it to their seats at half-time.
When Eintracht took on 1. FC Kaiserslautern in the final round of the 1952/53 German Championship, ticketless supporters stormed the 68,000-capacity Waldstadion. Over 75,000 fans are believed to have made it into the ground, some sitting right on the edge of the pitch as the Eagles slipped to an unfortunate 1-0 defeat – much to the annoyance of the home fans who had gained entry.
Tickets – or a lack thereof – have not been the only source of frustration at Eintracht down the years. On more than one occasion, the club has been in danger of going out of business. In 1906, the club treasurer – a Mr Kühn – ran off with the assets of Eintracht’s predecessors, Frankfurter Fußball Club Kickers, leaving only 42 pfennig in the bank. Kühn promised to replace the stolen funds, which amounted to around 900 German mark, but it is not known whether he kept his word.
The membership fee at Eintracht rose rapidly in times of inflation. The monthly payment amounted to 300 marks in January 1923, but rose to 1,000 marks in June of the same year. By July, it had leapt to 3,000 marks.
The mystery of Detari’s transfer fee
The multi-million sale of Lajos Detari remains one of the biggest talking points in the history of the Eagles, with many still pondering the whereabouts of the 16 million mark transfer fee Eintracht received for his services. However, even those with little financial knowledge have been forced to accept that every last pfennig was reinvested in the club.
Detari left Eintracht in 1988 – an eventful year for several reasons:
- Special delivery: A letter informing coach Wolfgang Kraus of the decision to terminate his contract with immediate effect was delivered through a lavatory window. Thankfully, the second copy was handed over in a more conventional manner.
- President for nine days: Joseph Wolf occupied the role from 14 until 22 November 1988.
Nevertheless, the Eagles still managed to win the DFB Cup at the end of the 1987/88 season.
There is never a dull moment at Eintracht Frankfurt – not in 125 years.
