The clubs in the region are drawing different conclusions
A Spanish nightmare for Eintracht, a remarkable second half of the season for Mainz 05, survival for OFC and SVWW in third division no-man's-land – that's how the season ended for the four other big clubs in the Rhine-Main area.
Frankfurt
Last year, Eintracht Frankfurt finished third in the Bundesliga and qualified for the Champions League for the first time. The next step was supposed to follow, but things turned out very differently. After a weak season, they missed out on European competition, and with that, coach Albert Riera's time as manager came to an end. The Spaniard had only joined Eintracht in February and was expected not only to improve their style of play but also to lead them to European competition.
Instead, Riera quickly alienated himself from the club and the media with questionable statements and an impulsive, authoritarian manner. The team's record of four wins, five draws, and five losses is also negative. Sporting director Markus Krösche is facing criticism for his disastrous appointment of the coach and for taking responsibility for the mistake. The squad is to be significantly reduced for the upcoming season to give the youth players more opportunities.
Mainz
After finishing second-to-last in the first half of the season, Mainz 05 are now in fifth place in the second half – since Urs Fischer became coach of 1. FSV Mainz 05, the club's fortunes have been on a steep upward trajectory. Several key players have already been secured for the upcoming season: Forward Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer will join from Hamburger SV, and midfielder Eric Martel will come from 1. FC Köln.
Sheraldo Becker, initially on loan from CA Osasuna in the winter, has a purchase obligation. The loan of Japanese midfielder Sota Kawasaki has been converted into a permanent transfer. The contracts of veterans Silvan Widmer (33), Stefan Bell (34), and, due to the club's survival in the league, Danny da Costa (32) have all been extended. Goalkeeper Daniel Batz, however, is leaving Mainz 05 to join Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Offenbach
Kickers Offenbach finished 14th, securing the first position above the relegation zone in the Regionalliga Südwest. Following a disappointing season for the traditional club, a significant squad overhaul is underway: Sascha Korb (32, midfield), Vincent Moreno (24, defense), Ron Berlinski (31, attack), Marc Wachs (30), Boubacar Barry (30), Stephan Mensah (25), Jona Borsum (21, all midfield), and Kilian Skolik (22, attack) will no longer be with the team next season. Borsum returns to Eintracht Braunschweig after his loan spell. Berlinski, OFC's top scorer with twelve goals, will also be leaving.
Wehen Wiesbaden
SV Wehen Wiesbaden finished the season in ninth place in the 3. Liga. On the final matchday, record appearance holder Sascha Mockenhaupt was given a farewell. Over more than ten years with SVWW, he made 352 competitive appearances and helped the club achieve promotion to the 2. Bundesliga twice. The 34-year-old could return to the club in a different capacity in the future.
Furthermore, the club announced additional departures. The contracts of Kevin Broll, Nassim El Ouarti, Ivan Franjic, Ryan Johansson, Orestis Kiomourtzoglou, and Felix Luckeneder were also not renewed. Milad Nejad's contract was terminated. Nejad had only joined Wiesbaden last summer as captain of Hamburger SV's U21 team. The 22-year-old made a total of ten competitive appearances for SVWW.
Beyond the Lilies – News from Frankfurt, Mainz, Offenbach and Wehen
Stephan Köhnlein is the editor-in-chief of the independent online magazine Lilienblog, which focuses on SV Darmstadt 98. In this section, he takes a look beyond the Lilies each month at other football clubs in the Rhine-Main area.
