After 3-0 Defeat To Napoli, Eintracht Frankfurt Switch Focus To The Bundesliga

On Wednesday, Eintracht Frankfurt completed the trio of Champions League exits for German clubs. After losing the first leg at home 2-0 and without star striker Randal Kolo Muani, the Eagles never stood a chance against Napoli. One of the hottest teams in Europe, Napoli won the match 3-0 thanks to goals by Victor Osimhen (45’ and 53’) and Piotr Zielinski (64’ penalty).

The game was overshadowed by violence outside the stadium as Napoli fans clashed with a small group of Frankfurt supporters. The violence at the city center will overshadow what has been a remarkable two seasons for Frankfurt in Europe. Eintracht qualified for the Champions League by winning the Europa League last season and earned around $50 million from participating in Europe’s premium competition this season.

“Congratulations to SSC Napoli on a deserved victory and a place in the Champions League quarter-finals,” Frankfurt head coach Oliver Glasner said after the game. “We tried everything; we were more competitive than in the first leg but have to accept that Napoli was too much for us. They’re playing at a top level and showed us our limits. Nevertheless, I’m proud of what the team has achieved in their first Champions League season.”

For Frankfurt qualifying for the round of 16 from what was a difficult group that included Tottenham, Olympique Marseille, and Sporting was already a magnificent achievement. The two games against Napoli—a side that has dominated Serie A and will be among the favorites for the UCL title—were, therefore, almost considered two bonus matches.

“Napoli is a class side with a lot of quality,” Frankfurt goalkeeper Kevin Trapp said. “They are where they are for a reason. We just have to accept that they were the better team, but we played courageously, we had our chances. It was a decent performance; everything else we have to work on again.”

Frankfurt went into the game with just one win from the last five Bundesliga games. In fact, the form curve has seen the Eagles drop down the standings to sixth-place five points outside the top five.

“They are always difficult periods in a season,” Trapp said. “However, you notice in the group that once someone’s played in the Champions League they want to keep playing at that level. We have the quality for it, but the road there isn’t easy. Now we need to see to it that we summon our strengths for the DFB Cup and Bundesliga and get the best out of them.”

Dropping out of the Champions League might ultimately pave the way for Frankfurt’s return to that competition next season. Following Eintracht over the last few weeks, it became apparent that the side does not yet have enough depth to be competitive on several fronts.

Furthermore, unlike last season, when Frankfurt dropped off in the Bundesliga to focus on the Europa League, winning the Champions League was always going to be an unlikely route to return to the biggest stage. Frankfurt has a key game against fourth-placed Union Berlin on Sunday, and a win at the Alten Försterei ahead of the international break could go a long way toward setting the season right.

Hence, with all this in mind, the exit against Napoli will only hurt for a moment as the focus shifts to the Bundesliga. It is there where Frankfurt needs to lay the foundation to return to the Champions League, which would go a long way toward further growing one of Germany’s sleeping giants.

Manuel Veth is the host of the Bundesliga Gegenpressing Podcast and the Area Manager USA at Transfermarkt. He has also been published in the Guardian, Newsweek, Howler, Pro Soccer USA, and several other outlets. Follow him on Twitter: @ManuelVeth