Toppmöller out as Frankfurt coach ahead of crucial Champions League games

By Canadian Press on January 18, 2026.

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Dino Toppmöller paid the price for Eintracht Frankfurt’s leaky defense as he was fired Sunday ahead of two crucial games that will decide whether Frankfurt avoids an early exit from the Champions League.

Toppmöller had been with Frankfurt since 2023 and led the team back to the Champions League after finishing third in the Bundesliga last season.

The club said in a statement their working relationship ended with immediate effect.

His last game was Frankfurt’s 3-3 draw with Werder Bremen on Friday, which took the team’s winless run to four games. Frankfurt has conceded 39 goals in 17 Bundesliga games.

“We in the sporting management and collectively on the board have come to the conclusion that we need a fresh impetus due to the downward trend in recent weeks,” said sporting director Markus Krösche. “So far this season, we have not lived up to the ethos of Eintracht Frankfurt standing for dynamic, aggressive and compact football.”

U21 coach Dennis Schmitt and U19 coach Alexander Meier take temporary charge of Frankfurt ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League game at Azerbaijani club Qarabag. Failing to win that could mean results elsewhere make it impossible for Frankfurt to qualify for the playoff round as one of the top 24 teams.

The following week, Frankfurt hosts Tottenham in both teams’ last game of the league stage.

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The Associated Press