Albert Riera started as Eintracht Frankfurt coach on Monday with the aim of creating "something beautiful" with the struggling Bundesliga team. Riera signed a contract until 2028 and told club TV ahead of his official presentation on Tuesday that "we want to create a style, an identity.
Albert Riera started as Eintracht Frankfurt coach on Monday with the aim of creating "something beautiful" with the struggling Bundesliga team.
Riera signed a contract until 2028 and told club TV ahead of his official presentation on Tuesday that "we want to create a style, an identity.
"I won't ask for time, you don't have time as a coach. You want to win the next game ... We want the fans to feel proud about the way we play," he said.
"Of course we will lose matches. But I can guarantee that we will win more than we we are going to lose," Riera said.
Riera, 43, arrived from Slovenian league leaders Celje and succeeds Dino Toppmöller at the 2022 Europa League champions who are struggling in eighth place in the Bundesliga, eight points adrift of a European berth.
His first match is on Friday at Union Berlin.
Frankfurt are yet to win in their seven matches in 2026, have conceded three goals in six of them and are eliminated from the Champions League.
Former Spain international Riera earlier told the Bild paper he he wants to build trust and make the players better, something he also expected from his coaches during his playing career.
"It doesn't matter if a coach is pretty or ugly, tall or short. The important thing is: Make me better. Teach me something. That is exactly in my head: How do I make the players I now have better," he said.
"The first meeting is not about tactics. It is about the people, the group, discipline, rules. Look each other in the eyes and trust each other," Riera said.
"It is important to trust the players. After that I will explain to them how we defend and what I expect in attack.
Category: General Sports
