Former Liverpool and Manchester City winger Albert Riera is reportedly in advanced talks to become the new manager of Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt. The 43-year-old Spaniard is currently in charge of Slovenian side NK Celje, but is poised to make a significant career move to Germany in the coming days.
Frankfurt's Search for a New Manager
Eintracht Frankfurt have been actively seeking a new manager since sacking Dino Toppmöller on January 18th. Toppmöller had spent two and a half years at the helm, having taken over from Oliver Glasner in June 2023. During his tenure, he won 53 of his 123 matches and notably led the club to the Champions League, but was ultimately dismissed following a recent dip in form.
Riera Emerges as Top Candidate
According to reports from Germany, Albert Riera has emerged as the leading candidate for the vacant managerial position at Eintracht Frankfurt. The former winger has held discussions with the Frankfurt hierarchy and could potentially be in place before Saturday's Bundesliga fixture against Bayer Leverkusen.
Sky Sports Germany has indicated that Bodo/Glimt boss Kjetil Knutsen was also considered for the role, particularly after Copenhagen refused to release Jacob Neestrup. In the interim, caretaker manager Dennis Schmitt will oversee Wednesday's final Champions League group stage match against Tottenham Hotspur.
Frankfurt's Current Struggles
Eintracht Frankfurt currently find themselves in eighth position in the Bundesliga table and have endured a challenging Champions League campaign. With just one victory from seven matches, they sit 33rd out of 36 teams heading into their final group stage game.
Riera's Managerial Journey
Albert Riera began his managerial career in Slovenia with Olimpija Ljubljana before taking charge of NK Celje, where he is currently in his second spell. The table-topping Slovenian side also compete in the Conference League. Riera's coaching experience includes a previous stint with French club Bordeaux.
During his playing career, the Spaniard represented several prominent clubs including Mallorca, Bordeaux, Espanyol, Liverpool, Manchester City, Olympiakos, and Galatasaray before retiring in 2016.
Coaching Education and Influences
Riera transitioned into coaching following his retirement, drawing inspiration from former managers such as Rafa Benitez and Ernesto Valverde. He participated in a prestigious coaching course organised by the Royal Spanish Football Federation alongside other recently retired internationals.
"The Royal Spanish Football Federation called me a few months later, because they wanted to organise a coaching course with several internationals who had recently retired," Riera explained in an article for Coaches Voice. "Many of us attended: Xavi Hernández, Xabi Alonso, Raúl González, Marcos Senna and Joan Capdevila."
He described the course as featuring "amazing lessons with very intense discussions about football" that often began with tactical questions prompting debate from different positional perspectives. The group maintains contact through a WhatsApp group named UEFA Pro, where they exchange birthday wishes and discuss match performances.
This potential move to Eintracht Frankfurt represents a significant step in Riera's managerial career, bringing him to one of Germany's top football leagues as he seeks to revive Frankfurt's fortunes following their recent struggles.
