Nuremberg's top candidate Joti Chatzialexiou stresses lack of talks with Eintracht Frankfurt
When the “bomb” about Markus Krösche’s departure from the SGE exploded, speculation immediately took off. Alex Schon reported that already shortly after the announcement Sunday, rumors about the new sporting director of Eintracht Frankfurt were circulating. The 46‑year‑old Krösche had announced his immediate departure, while Axel Hellmann temporarily took over the duties.
Joti Chatzialexiou in the Focus of the Rumors
The current sporting director of 1. FC Nuremberg, 50‑year‑old Joti Chatzialexiou, is considered one of the hottest candidates. A native of Frankfurt, former youth coach at Eintracht Frankfurt and almost two decades with the DFB, he has been overseeing the sporting affairs of FCN since May 2024. In an interview, he explained that being included in the candidate pool is an appreciation of his work, but there are no talks with Eintracht Frankfurt.
“It is certainly an appreciation of my work to be part of this candidate pool, but there are no agreements with Eintracht Frankfurt and no contact. The focus is on FCN,” said Chatzialexiou. He emphasized that he is not currently dealing with a possible move.
Other Possible Candidates
The Frankfurt management is also considering other names. According to reports, Augsburg’s Benjamin Weber as well as former Eintracht professionals Christoph Spycher and Pirmin Schwegler are in talks. Additionally, the name Fredi Bobic is being floated, who was sporting director of the SGE from 2016 to 2021.
Eintracht Frankfurt wants, as Axel Hellmann emphasized, to present a new sporting chief before the winter transfer window. In the summer, an early departure for Krösche was still being considered, but now concrete ideas seem to exist.
While Hellmann initially takes on the sporting tasks himself, the search for a permanent solution is already in high gear. The Hessians hope to fill the position in time to secure the sporting planning for the second half of the year.
For Chatzialexiou, not only his long‑standing experience at various levels of German football speaks, but also his current success with FCN. Nevertheless, he remains committed to the club and rules out an immediate move.