Eintracht Frankfurt coach Oliver Glasner was able to accept the end of the Champions League round of 16, but not the riots of the fans.
“I condemn all forms of violence and crime, no matter where and when it happens in the world, so I don’t approve of it,” said Glasner after the Bundesliga club’s 3-0 defeat at Italian top club SSC Naples.
When they returned to the team hotel, the Eintracht pros were greeted by a huge police force. Only a short time before, the security forces had ended renewed riots with water cannons.
As reported by Italian media, Naples supporters had tried to get to the neighboring hotel, where a few hundred ultras from Frankfurt had stayed and were preparing to leave by bus. The Napoli ultras lit firecrackers and threw stones at the emergency services.
Riots in Naples
Already on Wednesday afternoon, the fans of both teams had fought street battles with the police in the city center. “Of course we noticed. It’s not a thing that belongs here. We can’t approve of that,” Frankfurt’s sports director Markus Krösche criticized the incidents, which formed an unworthy framework for the end of Hesse’s first Champions League season.
Despite the clear defeat through the goals of Victor Osimhen (45.2/53.minute) and Piotr Zielinski (64./penalty), Glasner drew a positive balance of the trip to Europe. “We did a great job. I’m proud of what the team did in the Champions League,” said the coach.
Eintracht wants to experience the great football evenings on the international stage again next season. The Hessians are still in the running for starting places in both the Bundesliga and the DFB Cup. Glasner therefore issued the motto: “We want to crown and gild the season.”
