Eintracht Frankfurt brings back Adi Hütter as head coach on a three-year deal, five years after his contentious departure

Eintracht Frankfurt has reappointed Adi Hütter as head coach, five years after his departure for Borussia Mönchengladbach. The 56-year-old Austrian signed a three-year contract running until 30 June 2029, succeeding Albert Riera, who left by mutual agreement after a short and turbulent spell in charge.

A return to familiar ground

Hütter first managed Frankfurt from 2018 to 2021, leading the club to the Europa League semi-finals in 2019 and the German Cup semi-finals in 2020. His previous exit was controversial: he announced his move to Mönchengladbach during the 2020–21 season run-in while Frankfurt sat fourth, and the team subsequently surrendered a seven-point cushion to miss out on Champions League qualification.

For me it's very special and emotional to be coach at Eintracht again. The time we had together in Frankfurt left a big impression on me and has always stayed with me. Looking back, I always had the feeling of having unfinished business.

The Riera interlude

Frankfurt endured a turbulent 2025–26 campaign. Dino Toppmöller was dismissed in mid-January, and Albert Riera was hired in early February on a two-and-a-half-year deal. That experiment lasted less than four months; the Spaniard departed after the final Bundesliga matchday. The club finished eighth, outside the European places, and was eliminated from the Champions League after the league phase.

Hütter's recent record

Since leaving Frankfurt, Hütter spent one season at Borussia Mönchengladbach before taking over at AS Monaco in July 2023. He guided the principality club to second place in Ligue 1 in 2023–24 and third in 2024–25, but was dismissed in October 2025 after a poor start to the season, including a Champions League defeat at Club Brugge and a draw against Manchester City.

Adi Hütter stands for brave attacking football, clarity and discipline. He's shown in his career that he can combine fast-paced transitional play with possession — especially at Monaco, where he so effectively developed and stabilised one of the youngest teams in the league that they were able to establish themselves among the elite in France.

What Frankfurt expects

Sporting director Markus Krösche emphasised that Hütter knows the club's structures, environment, and personnel, meaning he will need no settling-in period. The club is betting that Hütter can restore the high-intensity, attacking identity that fans felt was missing last season and steer Frankfurt back into European competition.

A club tradition

Hütter is the eighth coach in Eintracht Frankfurt's history to be given a second stint. He joins a list that includes Paul Oßwald, Peter Szabo, Dietrich Weise, Jörg Berger, Dragoslav Stepanović, Karl-Heinz Körbel, and Armin Veh. Before his first Frankfurt spell, Hütter won the Austrian league and cup double with Red Bull Salzburg and the Swiss league title with Young Boys Bern in 2018.