Trainer Dennis Schmitt and club legend Alex Meier have temporarily taken charge at Eintracht Frankfurt and are now facing the last Champions League home game at Deutsche Bank Park against Tottenham. It's quite possible that they will give a few new hopefuls a chance.
Schmitt and Meier have already proven that they are not afraid of bold decisions, as shown against Qarabag Agdam when they ordered midfielder Can Uzun to the center forward position. An experiment that was quite successful, as the 20-year-old scored the equalizer in the tenth minute and was the best Frankfurt player on the field.
He is visibly good for SGE and is completely fit again after his injury at the end of 2025. He is likely to remain an absolute key player in the Bundesliga second half and also act at the forefront against the Spurs.
The offensive newcomers Ayoube Amaimouni-Echghouyab and Arnaud Kalimuendo, who joined the team in the winter, would also be helpful, as they immediately showed that they enrich Eintracht's offense. In two Bundesliga appearances, Amaimouni-Echghouyab, who came from Hoffenheim for 200,000 euros in January, already collected two scorer points (one goal, one assist). Kalimuendo, on loan from Nottingham, even scored one more goal, as he also scored against TSG over the weekend (1:3; two goals and one assist).
Unfortunately, both could not be registered for the Champions League, but in the coming months, they are likely to shake up the Bundesliga defenses together with Uzun. Against Tottenham, however, a few youngsters might get the chance to prove themselves at the highest level.
📸 Stuart Franklin – 2026 Getty Images
The 17-year-old striker Alexander Staff was already thrown into the deep end in the important match against Qarabag. Additionally, center-back Fousseny Doumbia (20 years old) and midfielder Marvin Dills (18) also made it into the matchday squad again. They had already achieved this several times this season under Dino Toppmöller, but without any playing time so far.
Since the match against the Spurs is no longer about advancing, it might be time for a few experiments. Schmitt and Meier are likely to have the necessary courage for this.
Perhaps a few young alternatives will emerge at this highest possible level, who can then make an impression on the new coach.
A report from the 'Frankfurter Rundschau' shows that the coaching change could also be seen as an opportunity for youngsters. According to the report, defensive jewel Elias Baum has decided not to seek a transfer this winter but to assert himself with the Frankfurters.
Under Toppmöller, despite the many games and an interim injury to Rasmus Kristensen, he only collected 13 minutes of playing time. Baum himself is still out at the moment, but his return is imminent, and he could become an alternative to give the established forces a breather.
At Eintracht, several new faces are raring to go, wanting to positively shape the new beginning together with long-term key players like Uzun & Co. Perhaps some of them will get the chance to start doing so in the home game at Deutsche Bank Park against Tottenham.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.
📸 THOMAS KIENZLE – AFP or licensors
