By Caden Charpentier
For the first time in club history, first-division competition from overseas will be making its way to Louisville for a July 30 international friendly.
Louisville City FC welcomes German powerhouse Eintracht Frankfurt to Lynn Family Stadium for both the exhibition game and as a base site for Frankfurt’s extended stay in the United States as part of its 2024-2025 preseason.
Nicknamed the Eagles, a tribute to the city of Frankfurt’s coat of arms, Frankfurt boasts accolades that include a German Championship, five DFB-Pokal domestic cups and a pair of UEFA Cup/Europa League titles.
Before Louisville’s historic European night — tickets are on sale now — here’s what you need to know about LouCity’s opponent.
1. Earned a place in the 2024-2025 Europa League
Manager Dino Toppmöller’s team secured a spot in the Europa League, the second-tier competition in European club football, for the upcoming season after finishing in sixth place in its league, the Bundesliga. Frankfurt won the Europa League just two years ago by defeating Scottish powerhouse Rangers F.C., making it one of 13 clubs to achieve this feat since the tournament’s inception in 1971.
The Eagles, who automatically qualified for the league phase of the competition, will begin European play in September. Frankfurt is one of the 13 clubs to already book a spot alongside juggernauts Manchester United, SS Lazio, FC Porto, AS Roma, and Tottenham Hotspur.
2. Beat German champions Bayern Munich 5-1 last December
In arguably the most shocking result of the previous Bundesliga season, Frankfurt stunned 11-time defending German champions Bayern Munich with a 5-1 victory at Deutsche Bank Park on December 9, 2023. The Eagles, who fell to Bayern by a 6-1 scoreline in the previous season, gave the German giant its first loss of the 2023-2024 campaign.
Frankfurt defeated the Munich outfit by four or more goals for the second time in all competitions since 2019. Frenchmen Éric Junior Dina Ebimbe and Omar Marmoush led the charge for the side from central Germany. The duo played a part in all five goals with the former Paris Saint-Germain F.C. man Dina Ebimbe netting two goals in 19 minutes.
3. Roster includes top players like World Cup hero Mario Götze and Ecuadorian defender Willian Pacho
Frankfurt’s roster is composed of an abundance of world-class talent. It is a mix of dynamic youth and savvy veterans. 32-year-old German World Cup hero Mario Götze, who has played in the Bundesliga for 13 seasons, headlines the attack alongside Algerian international Farès Chaïbi and Egypt’s Marmoush.
Defensively, you can’t ignore Willian Pacho. The 22-year-old was one of the five Ecuadorians to play in every minute of the recent Copa América hosted in the United States. He finished in the top seven of the German top flight last season in clearances and interceptions. Between the sticks stands Kevin Trapp, a goalkeeper who has played 299 games in the Bundesliga. The 2022 Europa League Final’s Man of the Match is ninth all-time in league appearances for the Eagles and first among shot stoppers.
4. One of the original members of the Bundesliga
16 teams are considered to be the founding members of the German football league system’s top flight. Frankfurt is one of them. In 1963, the Eagles were part of the league’s first season after the German Football Association voted to form a national professional football league in Dortmund.
Frankfurt competed against 15 other clubs including FC Köln, Borussia Dortmund, and LouCity’s friendly opponent last summer, FC Kaiserslautern. The outfit from central Germany finished third in the inaugural campaign, six points behind the winners FC Köln. In total, the Eagles have been a part of the Bundesliga for 55 seasons, the fourth-most among founding members.
5. Frankfurt has been around for 125 years
2024 marks Eintracht Frankfurt’s 125th year as a club.
Two days after its historic anniversary this year on March 8, the Eagles, who were donning special kits, came from behind to beat TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, 3-1.
125 years ago the club was formed through the merger of Frankfurter Fußball-Club Viktoria and Frankfurter Fußball-Club Kickers. The two local football clubs, who were both struggling financially at the time, joined forces to mark the beginning of the football giant we now know today.
