Eintracht Frankfurt: Ebnoutalib comes, Wahi goes, Hellmann with self-criticism

VThere really was no question of a contemplative holiday at Eintracht Frankfurt. Rather, they were accompanied by clear self-criticism from CEO Axel Hellmann. “It’s time to reflect on this in the winter and readjust a few things – throughout the entire company, throughout Eintracht,” was his message. Everything about the Waldstadion needs to be put to the test because there is “a bit too much of a feel-good oasis: with 70, 80 percent it won’t work anywhere.” For 2026, the 54-year-old lawyer expected “a little more toughness, consistency. That’s a pointer that I would like to give for the new year.”

The required need for improvement is of course addressed to the professional sector. Eintracht is eliminated from the DFB Cup, the chances of progressing in the Champions League are slim, and even in the Bundesliga the club is not really on target in seventh place with 25 points after 15 match days. But that’s not even Hellmann’s main point of criticism: “From my point of view, we have a lot to correct, and I don’t blame it on the number of points. It doesn’t feel like the Eintracht-Frankfurt football we play.”

Even though coach Dino Toppmöller received express support, the message got through: With the return series opener against Borussia Dortmund on Friday evening, the team is required to present itself differently. And the personnel adjustments that sports director Markus Krösche made in good time fit in with this. On New Year’s Day, the Hessians announced that striker Elye Wahi would be loaned to Nice. The Frenchman was brought in from Olympique Marseille on the winter transfer market a year ago for a whopping 25 million euros because Frankfurt urgently needed a replacement for its top scorer Omar Marmoush, who had moved to Manchester City for around 75 million.

But Wahi was a stranger right from the start, didn’t develop any bond with his teammates – and clearly had problems with the intense game in the Bundesliga. The 22-year-old didn’t manage to score a Bundesliga goal, and most recently the million-dollar flop was no longer even in the matchday squad. Wahi averaged just 24 minutes of playing time in 25 competitive games and only scored one goal against fifth division club FV Engers in the DFB Cup. Does a new beginning at home help now? “In the French league, Elye Wahi has already shown what he is capable of achieving. We wish him all the best in Nice for the coming months and, above all, that he regains his self-confidence and self-image,” said Krösche. It is questionable whether the damage can be limited because the attacker allegedly did not have the necessary mentality in Marseille.

Two years ago, Ebnoutalib was out of contract and Elversberg signed him from FC Gießen for 50,000 euros

Younes Ebnoutalib should now guarantee a different attitude. The 22-year-old is further evidence of the fast-moving nature of the business, with strikers rising in price faster than AI stocks. The Frankfurt native only moved from FC Gießen in the regional league to the second division club SV Elversberg last January for the ridiculous price of 50,000 euros – and he was very happy about it. The professional with Moroccan roots, who played for Rot-Weiss Frankfurt in his youth, was left with nothing two years ago because he had canceled his contract with Italian third division club AC Perugia after breaking his metatarsal.

He is not the first offensive player to start out as a nobody in Elversberg. With twelve goals, Ebnoutalib was the top scorer in the second division in the first half of the season, and numerous Bundesliga teams are said to have had him on their list. The people of Frankfurt are so convinced of his presence and physicality that they have now shelled out almost eight million euros. Eintracht was able to score points against the competition with their home advantage. “If you have the chance to play for your own city, there is nothing better,” said Ebnoutalib on club TV. The son of taekwondo fighter Faissal Ebnoutalib, who won silver for Germany at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, could immediately be a starting candidate for Eintracht.

On Friday, Frankfurt announced another change that fits the scheme: winger Ayoube Amaimouni-Echghouyab comes from the TSG Hoffenheim second team. He has also undergone a steep development in recent years: in 2023, Amaimouni-Echghouyab played for SpVgg Erkenschwick in the Oberliga Westfalen before making the move to Hoffenheim and drawing attention to himself in the second team. After contributing 16 goals in the Regionalliga Südwest 2024/25, he had nine goals and six assists in the third division in the last first series. He is 21 years old.