Eintracht Frankfurt are navigating a turbulent period both on and off the pitch, with the search for a new sporting director emerging as the defining challenge facing the club. Christoph Spycher, the former SGE captain and Young Boys sporting chief who had been the top candidate to replace Markus Krösche, rejected the approach on Wednesday morning. Marcel Schäfer of RB Leipzig has also been ruled out, leaving Joti Chatzialexiou of 1. FC Nürnberg as the frontrunner. Talks with Chatzialexiou have already taken place, led by chairman Axel Hellmann, though Nürnberg have publicly denied any contact. A transfer fee in the low single-digit millions would be required to release him from his contract. Hellmann has stressed the need for a swift appointment ahead of the January transfer window.

On the pitch, the mood is more positive. Frankfurt beat Hamburg 3-1 in the DFB-Pokal second round on Tuesday, advancing to the next stage of a competition that carries extra weight this season given the club's absence from European football for the first time in six years. That win followed a narrow 0-1 Bundesliga defeat at Borussia Dortmund, where a late Maximilian Beier goal separated the sides. Sitting 14th in the table with eight points from seven games, consistency remains the key issue for coach Adi Hütter, who has also publicly challenged winger Can Uzun to raise his standards in training and matches. Frankfurt host Hamburg again in the Bundesliga on 1 November.