Eintracht reveals further embarrassments of the Frankfurt mayor
Players and fans of Eintracht Frankfurt in ecstasy
The homecoming with the silver pot was a unique triumph for the Euro heroes Eintracht Frankfurt. The fans celebrated a mega party at the Römer. When the team appears on the balcony, the jubilation knows no bounds.
It was a performance brimming with embarrassment. Frankfurt’s Lord Mayor Peter Feldmann wanted to make the celebration of harmony his show after the success in the Europa League. Now the Eintracht chairman reveals even more missteps by the politician.
Es was the greatest success of the past decades. The euphoria in Frankfurt was gigantic when Eintracht won the final of the Europa League on penalties against Glasgow Rangers last May. After the sensational success, an entire city celebrated its heroes.
After landing in Frankfurt, the team was greeted by hundreds of thousands of fans. A motorcade drove to the town hall, where Lord Mayor Peter Feldmann was already waiting for harmony. Feldmann allowed himself one embarrassment after the next. The SPD politician snatched the trophy from Frankfurt’s coach Oliver Glasner and captain Sebastian Rode on the way to the Kaisersaal of Frankfurt’s Römer. Feldmann’s self-portrayal continued on the town hall balcony, where he repeatedly pushed his way into the first row and made a completely unfortunate speech.
Frankfurt’s Lord Mayor Peter Feldmann (right) snatches the Europa League trophy from Eintracht’s captain Sebastian Rode and coach Oliver Glasner (left).
Source: pa/dpa/dpa-Pool/Sebastian Gollnow
Obviously, it wasn’t Feldmann’s only embarrassment that day, as Axel Hellmann, spokesman for the board of football AG, revealed at the general meeting of Eintracht.
“I have a very serious issue. More things have happened than are known. How to take a great moment from a team, a club, the fans and a whole city. It’s not just about snatching the trophy just before entering the Römer,” said Hellmann. He’s not concerned with an inappropriate or confused speech: “I’m concerned with the overall picture that Peter Feldmann gave in the role of mayor. Not to turn the arrival in Frankfurt into a solemn honor for the protagonists, but to use it for oneself.”
Feldmann tried to prevent the motorcade
Hellmann then became clear and revealed two details: “His attempts to prevent the motorcade through the city because he himself was not invited and was not allowed to participate or to instruct the city staff, those responsible, not to let the sports director on the balcony , are an expression of a completely wrong understanding of the office.”
Feldmann has not yet commented on the events or apologized. According to Hellmann, he only half-heartedly spoke of misunderstandings. “We will not interfere in party political debates,” said Hellmann. “But there is one thing you can expect from an OB: that he represents the city in a dignified and stylish manner in big moments and is not only concerned with his staging.”
Despite allegations of corruption and sexism, Feldmann remains in office. In Frankfurt, the major parties are currently campaigning for an end to the Feldmann era with a joint campaign.
