Miraculous journey over: Frankfurt returns with sadness

At 1.35 a.m. local time, the Eintracht Frankfurt team bus drove into the balmy summer night in Helsinki. Kevin Trapp and Co. had their silver medals and unforgettable memories from the past twelve months on board, but not the hoped-for next silver cup. “Real was a size too big and is not our standard,” admitted sporting director Markus Krösche after the 2-0 defeat by Real Madrid in the European Supercup. A stately break like in April in Barcelona or in May in Seville had to be omitted for the Hessians this time. Instead, Toni Kroos and his colleagues cheered.

Eintracht’s miracle journey, which went from outsider to European Cup winner within a year, should not be forgotten so quickly after the end of what was practically the last competitive game. The fact that 30,000 fans dressed in white experienced the 3-2 win at the big FC Barcelona live at Camp Nou or around 50,000 fans traveled to Andalusia to watch the big Europa League final against Glasgow Rangers will remain.

Coach Oliver Glasner was still frustrated after the Supercup, in which goal scorers David Alaba and Karim Benzema brought about a deserved victory for the Spaniards. “We have seen that it is not enough for this level and this opponent. This really gnaws at me inside. I have a hard time accepting something like that. We have to develop the ambition to get a little closer,” said the Austrian, who less than three months after the coup in Seville is again required as a moderator and mentor to avert a false start. Only on Friday did the SBU lose 6-1 to FC Bayern.

Proud fans in full block

More than 10,000 fans who had traveled to Finland provided powerful support. “Our block is still full even though we lost. You can see how proud the fans are of us. It’s a great feeling,” explained goalkeeper Kevin Trapp after the defeat. And the fact that the journey of the 2021/22 season is now ending with the UEFA Supercup is not a problem for the supporters, because the next season will begin with a whole new adventure: the Champions League for the first time. Frankfurt is even in pot one because of the Europa League title.

At Real, everything was the same again: The famous trio of Casemiro, Kroos and Luka Modric started a final together in midfield and ended it with a cup photo together. Kroos now has five Supercup trophies, just as many as the three record winners Real, AC Milan and Liverpool. “After taking the lead, we had the game under control,” said Kroos with satisfaction. After the final whistle the cheering of the greedy title hamsters seemed almost businesslike. super cup? Apparently just another trophy in the almost endless cup rack of the royal team.

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