"It would be the riskiest and most reckless approach": Uli Hoeneß criticised again for his transfer advice

"If we invest in the squad but suddenly decide we no longer want to generate transfer revenue, we would simply be removing one of the two key elements of our strategy. Costs and depreciation will continue to rise, but you’ll no longer have any revenue. Yet it’s actually the revenue that refinances the costs of the squad. In my view, that would be the riskiest and most irresponsible path for Eintracht Frankfurt,” said the 38-year-old on the club’s podcast.

Hoeneß had recently stated at an event organised by the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management: "Personally, I’m not a big fan of selling good players. I always say at FC Bayern: we are a buying club, not a selling club." Addressing Frankfurt’s board spokesman Axel Hellmann, he added: “Axel Hellmann will also come to realise that, in the long run, you lose substance with every sale. It’s nice to get 50 or 60 million once in a while, but what are the consequences?”

Zamberk, on the one hand, shows understanding for this line of thinking, but at the same time points out the risks involved: "Other clubs have tried this. Of course, you increase the likelihood of sporting success. But nobody can guarantee that. If you fail to meet your targets, you’ll face real financial problems. I wouldn’t go along with that, and no one who has Eintracht’s best interests at heart can demand it."

Earlier, Frankfurt’s sporting director Max Krösche had already countered Hoeneß’s comments: “I believe that FC Bayern will also lose players in the future.” He was alluding to various rumours in the international media: “If someone like Michael Olise wants to go to Real Madrid, then there will be opportunities for that.”

In recent years, Frankfurt has established itself as one of the Bundesliga’s most successful clubs in terms of player sales. Examples include: in 2023, Randal Kolo Muani moved to Paris Saint-Germain for €95 million; in January 2025, Omar Marmoush joined Manchester City for €75 million; and in the summer of 2025, Hugo Ekitike moved to Liverpool FC for €95 million.

In the Bundesliga, the Hessians currently occupy only seventh place, which as things stand would mean missing out on international competition – unless eighth-placed SC Freiburg triumphs in the DFB-Pokal semi-final against VfB Stuttgart and secures the trophy in the final against FC Bayern or Bayer Leverkusen.