The 21st round of the 2025/26 Bundesliga season will take place, with Eintracht Frankfurt traveling to face Union Berlin. New manager Albert Riera, making his coaching debut, stated that he has conveyed his ideas to the players and inspired them to maintain their belief during the match.

Following Toppmöller's departure, Albert Riera from Spain was appointed as the new head coach of Eintracht Frankfurt last month.

In the last league match, Eintracht Frankfurt, after falling behind, ultimately lost 1-3 to Bayer Leverkusen thanks to a goal from Robin Koch. After two draws and three losses in their last five matches, Frankfurt currently sits in 8th place with 27 points and needs to accumulate more points to secure European qualification.

Frankfurt coach Albert Riera said, "We don't have much time, and it's my responsibility to make the most of every minute we have. I think I've conveyed everything I wanted to say to the players, including all the tactics and principles on the field, as well as the defense, attack, and game plan. I saw a lot of problems that needed to be addressed, so it took a little longer than usual."

“However, I am very satisfied and full of expectations now because I have done everything I can to ensure the team plays well. There is no time to waste in football; we must be ready at all times, and I think we are ready. We have done simulations for the match against Union Berlin, and I know who will be in the starting lineup. In my opinion, telling the players the day before the match is the ideal time; three days in advance is too early, and one hour before the match is too late.”

Albert Riera said, "The players' eyes were shining, which was very important to me. We had a meeting for almost 95 minutes until I was sure they fully understood what I was asking before I went to the training ground to put everything into practice."

In terms of head-to-head records, Frankfurt has a record of 1 win, 2 draws and 2 losses in their last 5 matches against Union Berlin, including a 3-4 home defeat to the same opponent in the first leg of this season.

Speaking about Union Berlin, Albert Riera said, "Union Berlin uses a lot of long passes and is very good at winning back possession. There are many ways to succeed in football, and everyone has their own style, and mine is different. If the ball is always in the air, then both teams will have a 50/50 chance. I don't want that; I want to control possession."

“We prefer a different style of play. So this opponent wasn’t ideal for my debut, but that’s precisely why it was a huge challenge. They were intentionally creating a lot of possession battles, scrambles, and physical confrontations. But as long as we have possession, it all comes down to us executing our tactical plan. The most important thing is belief, and I have that belief.”

Image source: Internet