Matthäus warns of leadership gap at Eintracht Frankfurt after loss

In Eintracht Frankfurt's stadium the echo of the 0-6 defeat from last Saturday evening still lingers, while Lothar Matthäus, live as a TV analyst for Sky, watches the scene and immediately raises the discussion about captain Robin Koch.

Early Substitution and Punishment Training

According to Matthäus, the punishment training on the otherwise free Monday and the early substitution of Robin Koch are clear signs that the team cannot bounce back immediately after the heavy defeat.

Matthäus' Assessment of Koch

"The clear statements about Robin Koch surprised me. That he speaks of a redemption regarding his captain's substitution was unfortunate. That doesn't look good," Matthäus commented to Sport.

He emphasized that Hütter's reaction, after twenty years of experience, is not "simply without reason" and suspected that the first half in Leipzig had tipped the bottle over. Purely based on performance, he believed everyone could have been substituted.

Missing Leaders

Matthäus posed a central question: "Where are the true leaders in Frankfurt?" He currently sees none, and criticizes that Frankfurt cannot rely on such player types.

He called Jonathan Burkardt "a great striker", who, however, must primarily score goals, while a leader, in his view, should hold the team together further back.

Matthäus described Atubolu as a potential leader who still needs time after his transfer. He also sees Raphael Onyedika in midfield as a possible captain, but Koch must fight with himself, which makes the situation for Eintracht currently dangerous.