The Comeback Kid: Footboom1.com Returns with a Bang After 33 Months

Czech league leading club Slavia Prague will pose a real challenge to Eintracht Frankfurt this Thursday. Fortunately, coach Dino Topmoller has all the player options at his disposal.

Of course, Patrick Hager will be able to take some time off, relax and recharge during the league break. But the 2018 Olympic hero is set to play his first game for his country’s ice hockey team in nearly three years and is eager to compete in the biggest tournament before the end of his career. “Milan will be completely different because it includes the NHL,” the 36-year-old said of the Winter Olympics 15 months away. “It will be a completely different level.”

If you want to be on the top stage alongside Leon Draisaitl, Tim Schutzre and Moritz Seider in February 2026, you have to stand out in Landshut. National team coach Harold Kreis said during the German Cup that he was already thinking about the Olympics: “It’s an opportunity to see players I haven’t seen in a long time. Players who haven’t played on the international stage for a long time.”

Hager, the mainstay of the German team that won the silver medal in Pyeongchang, joins two-time Stanley Cup winner Tom Kunhackl (32). Coach Kreis noted that these two veterans “have shaped the reputation of German ice hockey and continue to do so.” They wore the German uniform with the aim of underperforming at the 2022 Olympic tournament.

The current national coach did not allow them to participate – Kuhnhackl became a father in the spring and Hager was “not in good shape after the long playoffs with Munich”. But now Red Bull captain Hager is feeling “amazing” and “feeling renewed energy as important events approach.” He is also considering next year’s World Cup in Denmark and Sweden; This will be his ninth World Cup.

Most importantly, it is the first Olympic tournament with all superstars since 2014. At that time, the German team failed to qualify. Four years later, a thrilling finals run in South Korea left NHL stars out, and in a disastrous fan-less 2022 event in Beijing, Hager and his teammates were “eliminated early.” “The Olympic experience wasn’t the same the second time around,” added the 152-game winner. “There was a difference between day and night.”

Hager will have to prove his abilities in a “showcase for the 2026 Olympics” this Thursday (7.45pm) against Denmark, Saturday (6pm) against Slovakia and Sunday (3pm) against Austria, DEB Sports Director Christian Kunst commented:

“A lot of the positions are already taken,” Hager said. “I’ve been lucky enough to play in every tournament in my career, but if I got the chance again, I wouldn’t take it away from myself.” So, he returns after 33 months.

Coach Kreis, who has seven NHL players during the Olympics and key players from the last two World Cups, will be watching closely. Hager and Kuhnhakl “bring a lot of experience,” he emphasized, “and they are leaders in the locker room and on the ice—perhaps also in Milan.”

Nathan Brown, who has been on a rapid rise recently but has landed softly, will be able to put his feet up on Thursday evening. But the 21-year-old football pro could never have imagined the day he would be playing alongside his Eintracht teammates in a Europa League home game against Slavia Prague. He was not registered for competition and was left out of international selection in early September—despite having 25 teammates.

It’s been a difficult time for the left-back, who joined from Nürnberg. “It’s been quite difficult,” he admits. But the Kulmersburg native was not discouraged. He was rewarded with two starts and his first Bundesliga goal against Bochum. If Topmoller had to make the decision again today, the outcome would be different. But Brown still needs to get used to the three-day rhythm, so the rest will help him.

Topmoller will have to solve his left-back problem differently; This is not a problem. He could give Nils Nkunku another chance, but it’s always unpredictable with the Frenchman. What he can show may be consistent performance and aggressive behavior, or it may be a slightly erratic performance. Alternatively, Arthur Teat could be assigned the task of strengthening the left wing. The Belgian nation can also defend effectively in the middle. The 24-year-old is a superb defender and 100% fit – even taking into account his two recent red cards. The yellow-red card in Berlin and the red card in Gladbach during the Breslow era were both unfortunate incidents, with no cruel fouls involved. Teat will definitely return to the starting lineup.

Thanks to their successful rotation in the 7-2 gala win over VfL Bochum, Topmoller now have more personnel options on the international stage. Managers can now be replaced without significant loss of quality. This indicates a level increase and is being overlooked. Hugo Larsson and Mario Özl were given creative rest in the match against lower-ranked teams. Larsson played for about 15 minutes, and Özl did not play at all. Both players are likely to be considered as starters against Slavia Prague this Thursday (6:45 PM/RTL+). The same goes for Eric Dina Ebiimbe, who was on the bench against Bochum. But there is no reason to leave Ansgar Klnauf out of the squad — unless Topmoller wants to keep him fresh for Stuttgart’s important game on Sunday.

It is questionable whether Eliyes Skiri will be able to maintain his position as a defensive midfielder. The Tunisian player’s condition is clearly improving. A key factor is that the 29-year-old is playing without a cumbersome face mask to protect his broken cheekbone. However, Mo Dahoud showed good performance in this position as well. A last-minute signing, he has integrated quickly into the team, is well accepted and feels comfortable. The technician from Brighton & Hove Albion scored his first goal for Eintracht against Bochum and assisted another goal with a superb pass for Hugo Ekitike. The sports magazine “Kicker” immediately selected the 28-year-old as its team of the day.

“He hasn’t played many games in the last year and a half, but he is now finding his rhythm,” said sporting director Markus Kroesch. Dahoud is “an outstanding player, his technique is unquestionable.” A bit of a downside: He sometimes goes down too deep. However, his game intelligence, technique, and spatial awareness can be an important factor in situations where he is cliff-hanging a defending opponent.

But Thursday’s opponent is not a team that puts a wall in front of their goal. Conversely, Slavia is technically strong, a strong team that enjoys controlling the ball and dominating the Czech league. Out of 13 matches, the Prague club won 11 and did not concede a single match; They sit at the top of the league table, comfortably maintaining the gap with Virtolja Plzeň at eight points. Virtolja Plzeň are also Eintracht’s European league opponents and were fortunate to draw 3-3 in Frankfurt.

Slavia, however, is a team of a different class and an opponent that cannot be easily overcome. On the international stage, the Czech national team has collected 4 points so far. They recently lost 0-1 at Bibilbao, but it was a very unlucky loss. In Spain they were overwhelmingly superior, taking more shots and having almost 65% of the possession. This could be advantageous for an aggressive Frankfurt side and could lead to performances from their prolific forwards Omar Marmouch and Hugo Ekitike.

(sid). Atleten Germany, an independent player spokesman, is concerned it will not have a sufficient say in the planned sports funding bill. The organization criticized the draft bill that will be submitted to the German government’s cabinet on Wednesday. “The bill has potential, but it falls far short of its potential,” said Atleten vice-president Maximilian Klein.

Of particular concern is the German Olympic Sports Association’s power to appoint athlete representatives to the body of the new elite sports agency, which the organization “views with great concern.” Therefore, together with 80 athlete representatives from 47 sports associations, the state-funded representative is “demanding substantive changes to the draft sports funding bill.”

“Given politicians’ regular promises about the central position of athletes in elite sport, it is inexplicable that their overwhelming and clearly expressed requests are largely ignored,” said chairman Carla Borger. In addition to the participation specified in the bill, the organization is calling for “adequate coverage,” which “includes maternity care, monthly financial support, retirement planning and comprehensive insurance coverage.” The sports funding bill aims to complete elite sport reforms and ensure German athletes win more medals again.

(dpa). In France, raids by financial investigators are underway on soccer league association LFP and financial investor CVC. This follows an investigation into allegations of embezzlement of public funds and corruption. Okay, 4 points are on hold for a while. The Paris prosecutor’s office said the investigation involved a case in which the investor came in to market Ligue 1’s TV rights. According to media reports, investigators have also reportedly taken action against league president Vincent Labrun.

In France, CVC purchased 13% of the shares in LFP’s newly established subsidiary for €1.5 billion in 2022. In return, 13% of marketing revenue flows to investors. Two years after the investor’s entry, Ligue 1 sold the TV rights for next season to DAZN and beIN Sports in the summer. The deal was criticized for bringing €500 million in revenue to the league, well below expectations.

According to France Info, the raid comes six days after a report submitted to the Paris Senate found that league officials received high bonuses from the 2022 CVC deal. League president Labrun reportedly received a bonus of 3 million euros and his salary tripled to 1.2 million euros.

(dpa). Fighting relegation instead of sending off: Dieter Hecking is trying to save VfL Bochum from relegation, currently at the bottom of the Bundesliga table. “I want to use all my experience to stabilize the team,” Hecking said during Tuesday’s announcement. “But we don’t need to chatter; we need to set the facts and breathe new life into VfL Bochum,” the 60-year-old emphasized. His contract runs until the end of the season.

Hecking also admitted that Bochum’s recent performances have not prepared them for the Bundesliga. “The tables don’t lie, and there is a possibility that they do at the moment. But if this is real, I will have to make a change,” said Hecking, who has played 418 Bundesliga games for several clubs. Bochum could only score one point in the 9th round. “I love challenges and this is a challenge for the stars,” said Dieter Hecking, who served as sporting director at 1FC Nürnberg until May.