Frankfurt fans renew love affair with Europe

You sometimes feel a bit like a broken record when pointing out that Eintracht Frankfurt supporters really like European club competition. Just last season here at DW, we touched on the topic here, here, here, here, here, and here. And that list is by no means exhaustive.

The only time their supporters don't make waves, home or away, on the Europa League stage, is when the stadium is empty as a result of disciplinary measures, as at Marseille last season. 

If you thought the novelty might be wearing off in a second-successive season of Europa League competition, think again.

Almost all of the 48,000 Frankfurt fans wore red in the Commerzbank-Arena on Thursday evening, heeding a call from the club's Ultras. Not a bad turnout for any Europa League qualifying fixture. But it's a frankly remarkable attendance for the second leg of such a tie, after waltzing to a 5-0 away win against rank outsiders FC Vaduz of Liechtenstein in the first leg. Remember, the match kicked off at 9 p.m. on a Thursday evening in Germany's financial capital. Many of those supporters will have early alarm calls on Friday, despite a late night singing their team on the surest of sure things as if it were a tense quarterfinal encounter.

Lots of rotation, a familiar returnee, just the one goal, and a nasty injury

The match itself proceeded largely as expected. Coach Adi Hütter rested multiple players, albeit offering a return to prodigal son Sebastian Rode. Rode is back at Frankfurt after years with Bayern Munich and then Borussia Dortmund; he's trying to regain match fitness after an injury. 

Hütter also made it clear that the match was a great early chance for fringe players to impress, saying "For me, there's not a fixed first team yet. Anyone could yet earn themselves a place in Sunday's lineup [for a tricky Bundesliga season-opener against Hoffenheim]."

Frankfurt rolled out 1-0 winners on a first-half goal from Jonathan de Guzman, progressing by a 6-0 aggregate margin. A ruptured Achilles tendon suffered by Marco Russ in the first half was the one blemish the coaching and medical staff would surely have hoped to avoid.

But Thursday's main mission was accomplished with as little drama, and as much noise, as expected. Frankfurt will be advancing to the last Europa League qualifying round against Strasbourg, aiming to advance to the group stage and emulate their remarkable run to the semifinals in 2018-19. And wherever the the Eagles go, thousands will surely follow.