The biggest story at Eintracht Frankfurt right now is off the pitch. Sporting director Markus Krösche resigned with immediate effect on Sunday evening, ending a five-year tenure that included the Europa League title in 2022 but had grown increasingly fractured. The club confirmed his departure following weeks of internal discussions with chairman Mathias Beck, and Axel Hellmann was simultaneously elevated to chief executive. Reports from the day before his exit suggested a move to AC Milan was already taking shape, with transfer expert Matteo Moretto indicating that talks were advanced and a financial agreement largely in place. The search for a successor is now underway, with names including Joti Chatzialexiou and former Frankfurt player Christoph Spycher mentioned as candidates.

On the pitch, Frankfurt steadied themselves with a 1-0 home win over Cologne on Friday, only their second league victory of the season. The result lifted them to eleventh in the Bundesliga, though 16 goals conceded in six games remains a serious concern. That defensive fragility was exposed most brutally in the 0-6 collapse at RB Leipzig the week before, a result that prompted coach Adi Hutter to publicly criticise captain Robin Koch before later reaffirming his faith in him. Lothar Matthäus added external pressure by questioning Hutter's handling of the situation.

Frankfurt travel to Borussia Dortmund on 24 October, facing a side that has won all three of their league games so far. Rebuilding defensive solidity before then is the immediate priority.