Ztwo more relaxed training days – then the Frankfurt soccer professionals, who do not have the status of a national player, can completely indulge in idleness. Eintracht coach Oliver Glasner has announced four days off in a row. Practice in the arena is suspended from Thursday up to and including Sunday.
Next Monday, preparations will start for a league game that kicks off on October 1 at 3:30 p.m. (in the FAZ live ticker for the Bundesliga and on Sky) and is full of excitement: the leaders are coming. No, not FC Bayern, but 1. FC Union Berlin. It’s one of the nice surprises of this Bundesliga season that the standings are mixed up at the moment. Eintracht is seventh – and at least better than at the same time a year earlier, when the team was thirteenth.
Deschamps praises Kolo Muani
This season, more than eleventh place must be possible, which caused disillusionment in the core business at the end of the past season. More possible with players like Randal Kolo Muani. The Frenchman has fitted in perfectly with Glasner’s team since he started in the summer and became a regular from the start. Even more: His turbulent work has also made a powerful impression at home.
Didier Deschamps did not go unnoticed by Kolo Muani’s good performances in the Eintracht dress. The reward: The attacker is in the squad of the world champion for the first time ever. “Randal has a lot of quality,” praised Deschamps. “He brings presence, takes depth and has good efficiency.”
France will face Austria’s selection in the Nations League on Friday. The venue is the Stade de France in Paris. Eintracht coach Glasner will watch from afar to see if Kolo Muani actually makes his debut. “I congratulated him on his national team nomination. He was beaming from ear to ear.”
Sow is waiting for the goal premiere
For Djibril Sow, nominations are a matter of form. The Swiss is an integral part of the “Nati” selection of the Confederates. The 25-year-old midfielder has made 30 appearances so far – with one flaw. Unlike in the dress of Eintracht, he has not yet scored a goal in national team tasks.
In the Nations League, Sow have two more chances in the encounters with Spain and the Czech Republic to show “that I have a lot of feeling with the inside”. In addition, the Dane Jesper Lindström, the Japanese Daichi Kamada and the Colombian Rafael Borré are nominated from the Eintracht ensemble for the respective senior team.
One step down, Hrvoje Smolcic faces landmark appearances with the Croatia U-21 side in two play-off finals against Denmark. Two friendly international matches against France and England await Ansgar Knauff and Faride Alidou on the German U-21 side. Speaking of England: Kevin Trapp is also there for the classic of the senior national team at London’s Wembley Stadium on Monday.
