Eintracht Frankfurt's Europa League success is a victory for the Bundesliga and its fan ownership model
Eintracht Frankfurt’s Europa League success has done more than silence the Bundesliga critics for a few seconds. It’s a vindication of German football’s fan ownership model: 50+1. After having finished, the 2020/21 season just outside the Champions League spot and having lost their head coach to a league rival, Eintracht Frankfurt fans could be forgiven for feeling a tinge of disappointment going into this season. Eintracht are not a club that takes success for granted and celebrates it with huge passion, noise and in vast numbers. A Bundesliga 2 outfit as recently as 2012 this massive club with a huge fan-base has experienced some pretty desperate lows, only to bounce back. They beat Bayern Munich to win the DFB Pokal in 2018, and have proved colourful entrants in recent seasons the Europa League. Last season looked like they may be rewarded for the patient rebuilding that has taken place in the last decade and get to play in the big show: The Champions League. But it didn’t happe