For those who have experienced Frankfurt, it’s evident that this city, unlike most in Germany, does not prioritize beer culture. While there are indeed delightful brews to be sampled in Hessen, the dominant beverage here is Äppelwoi—essentially apple wine or hard cider.
This week in the Main-Metropole (the metropolis by the River Main), many are expressing their appreciation for Äppelwoi.
The departure of Dino Toppmöller as head coach of Eintracht Frankfurt aligns perfectly with the typical decision-making patterns of German football clubs. When issues become overwhelming and results decline, it becomes hard for anyone to stay in their role, regardless of popularity.
Toppmöller, son of esteemed coach Klaus Toppmöller, was a well-regarded presence within the community, having spent much of his youth in Frankfurt. He was generous with his time, offering insightful analyses during his often-lengthy press conferences.
Last season, he was lauded for guiding Eintracht into the UEFA Champions League, particularly given the mid-season loss of Omar Marmoush. Unfortunately, this term, Toppmöller’s strategies were compromised by frequent individual errors.
While Eintracht managed to score goals consistently, defending became an ongoing enigma. Recently, Arthur Theate has made particularly costly mistakes, though he is not alone in this regard.
In November, Frankfurt attempted a shift to a more defensive approach, which yielded short-term success against teams like Napoli in the Champions League and Mainz in the Bundesliga, silencing their opponents. However, this came at the cost of their traditional attacking style, and they quickly reverted back to their former ways.
After facing one too many high-scoring Schlagabtausch (exchange of blows) matches—such as the 3-3 draw against Werder Bremen—Toppmöller was let go.
Compounding the disappointment for Eintracht supporters, their team was eliminated from the Champions League during Wednesday’s match under interim coaches Dennis Schmitt and Alex Meier. They struggled defensively once again, ultimately falling to Qarabag in Baku.
Markus Krösche, the club’s renowned sporting director, has decided to keep Schmitt and the coaching team for the upcoming home match against TSG Hoffenheim.
Eintracht’s business model revolves around developing young, talented players and hoping to profit from future transfers. While this strategy has paid off with players like Hugo Ekitike, it has not yielded the same results with Elye Wahi.
The next choice for head coach is critical. Despite Eintracht’s struggles, a return to the Champions League next season is still within reach.
Bayern’s Dominance Beyond the Stars
Bayern Munich secured a 2-0 Champions League victory over Union St.-Gilloise, a performance that, while not their most thrilling of the season, keeps the Rekordmeister well-positioned to meet their competitive goals. They now need just a draw against PSV Eindhoven next week to secure second place in the league phase behind Arsenal, which would give them a critical advantage in the knockout stage.
It’s easy to scrutinize Harry Kane and Michael Olise weekly, as they often make challenging tasks appear deceptively simple. However, Bayern is increasingly incorporating academy players into their matchday rosters, beyond just the exceptionally talented Lennart Karl.
Players like Felipe Chávez, David Daiber, Wisdom Mike, and Javier Fernández have all made regular appearances on the bench, showcasing the strength of Bayern’s youth system. The club is also tracking Noël Aséko Nkili, who has been impressing in the 2. Bundesliga while on loan at Hannover 96.
Challengers Appear to Be Pretenders
The Champions League outings from Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen earlier this week are best left in the past.
Dortmund struggled in a lackluster first half in London against Tottenham Hotspur, where the home side’s Gegenpressing caused major issues for die Schwarz-Gelben, leaving them with too much ground to cover after halftime. Currently, middle-of-the-table in the Champions League reflects Dortmund’s reality.
Leverkusen’s challenging start to the 2026 season continued with another disappointing performance, losing to Olympiacos. The Greek side put forth a relentless press, troubling players like Loïc Badé and Robert Andrich significantly. The momentum gained in December, when Bayer eliminated BVB from the DFB-Pokal and triumphed over RB Leipzig in Bundesliga, has seemingly vanished.
Cologne Finds Success in Simplicity
Sometimes, a straightforward, direct approach can yield significant benefits.
Last weekend, FC Cologne struggled in the first half against Mainz, trailing 0-1 and facing heavy criticism from the home crowd. Under the pressure, coach Lukas Kwasniok brought on aerial expert Ragnar Ache and Mainz loanee Tom Krauss immediately after the break, which set the stage for their first win since early November—a victory against direct competition.
Both goals came from Ache’s headers—one from a cross by Alessio Castro-Montes and the other from a corner delivered by Luca Waldschmidt. This marked the first time all season that Cologne scored a Bundesliga goal from a corner.
As a result, the fans in the Domstadt (City of the Cathedral) are now feeling much more at ease.