Eintracht Frankfurt's new Bundesliga season has begun under a cloud of uncertainty, with the club's off-pitch situation drawing as much attention as events on the field. A 3-3 draw at Union Berlin on matchday one, in which Frankfurt squandered a 3-1 lead late on, summed up the fragile state of a club still searching for stability after finishing eighth last season without European football for the first time in six years.

The most pressing storyline surrounds sporting director Markus Krösche. Reports from Bild claimed the supervisory board would discuss terminating his contract at their September 2 meeting, with sources citing a strained relationship between Krösche and coach Adi Hütter. Those claims were firmly pushed back by club president Mathias Beck, who told kicker there was "no reason to speculate" about Krösche's future, pointing to his contract running until 2028. Kicker's own reporting described the separation rumours as "stink bombs" designed to cause unrest, though the magazine acknowledged that full harmony within the club could not be guaranteed.

The transfer window has added to the turbulence. Krösche's summer business has been slow and chaotic by Frankfurt's own admission. Hütter did get two of his priority targets, with goalkeeper Noah Atubolu arriving on loan from Freiburg and defender Lilian Brassier also confirmed. Flop signing Elye Wahi has been loaned back to Nice, while Hugo Larsson is close to a Premier League move worth around 25 million euros and Ritsu Doan is reportedly likely to join Al-Ittihad for 18 million euros. With the window closing, Frankfurt are also in talks to sign free agent striker Joselu, the former Real Madrid forward, to address a thin attack. Augsburg visit Deutsche Bank Park on September 6.