Martin Fenin acted as a striker and goalscorer for Eintracht Frankfurt. After his career, however, the Czech fell deeply and struggled with alcohol addiction.
Frankfurt – Martin Fenin was once considered one of the greatest talents in Czech football. Born in 1987 in Cheb, Bohemia, he started his professional career at FK Teplice, where he made his debut in the first division at the age of 16. Fenin became internationally known at the U20 World Cup in 2007 in Canada, when he led the Czech team to the final with outstanding performances – and even scored more goals than later stars such as Luis Suárez or Edinson Cavani.
In January 2008, the then 20-year-old moved to Eintracht Frankfurt for around 3.5 million euros. He made history in his first Bundesliga game: Fenin got off to a dream start with a hat trick against Hertha BSC. But the hoped-for breakthrough did not materialize. After three and a half years and 96 competitive games (16 goals, 14 assists), he said goodbye to Frankfurt and moved to Energie Cottbus. Stations in the Czech Republic, France and Germany followed before Fenin ended his career in 2018.
Ex-Eintracht star is fighting alcohol addiction
After the end of his active career, however, a deep decline followed. Alcohol problems and personal crises determined his life. “I just went to parties and celebrated. Many people warned me: ‘Martin, you’re going to hell!’ – and I knew it wasn’t good,” he later said openly about his crash.
After going through rehab, he began speaking out about his experiences and became involved in mental health programs for athletes. In 2023 he started a second career as a mixed martial arts fighter, but there was no fight. A short time after the withdrawal, however, there was a bad relapse: “Yes, I drink again. Every day. Ever since I left the clinic. I watch YouTube all day and drink Jägermeister to combat the sadness. I love my daughter so much,” he said Bild.
Over the past few months, Fenin has repeatedly shared pictures and short videos of himself and his daughter on his Instagram account. The hope is that the former Eintracht star will get better again, find his way out of addiction and build a future with his child. (smr)
