"The stadium will be rocking" – Interview with former Eintracht star Thomas Doll

Thomas Doll, how are you?
"I'm very well. We're currently doing a tour of Italy. I left my coaching job in Budapest in mid-August and now we're making the most of the time we didn't have over the summer. We're recharging the batteries and the weather was glorious in Europe until the end of September."

When you think back to your time at Eintracht, what positives have remained with you despite all the difficulties you faced?
"My time in Frankfurt was not only the most difficult period of my playing career, but also of my life. I ruptured my Achilles tendon two months before the 1994 World Cup and that summer I had only just returned to Rome with my parent club Lazio when Frankfurt signed me, even though I was injured. That was a big leap of faith. I felt at home in Frankfurt, everything was great. While I was still recovering from the Achilles injury I tore the tendon parallel to it in my foot and then got an infection in my knee. I was on the sidelines for nine months in total. It was a difficult time and we got relegated even though we had a lot of good players. I hardly played at all. I never really got back to my best after that, not even at my subsequent clubs Bari and Hamburger SV, where I retired as a player."

You had a better time of things at Lazio …
"A player can perform at his best when he's fit, which I was at Lazio. I had a very nice time there and was one of the best foreign players in the league. It wasn't hard to integrate; I've always been an open, approachable person. And when you play well then the response is always positive. I played at a very high level back then and was a regular in the national team."

What are your thoughts ahead of Eintracht's match against Lazio on Thursday?
"It's not easy to beat Eintracht at the Commerzbank Arena. The stadium will be rocking. Frankfurt and the whole surrounding region crave European football and it's important for the team to show that German sides are a force to be reckoned with. It would be great if the Eagles could get a good result."

How do you assess Eintracht's group?
"Eintracht aren't favourites to win it but they can still cause a stir. It's important to find the right balance between the Europa League and the Bundesliga because you can only look forward to European matches if you're doing well domestically. The players definitely enjoy testing themselves at that level. It's a really interesting group with two very good teams from top leagues. It's got everything."