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Eintracht Frankfurt announced the surprise appointment of Albert Riera as their new head coach on Friday.
The 43-year-old Spaniard arrives from Slovenian side Celje for a reported transfer fee of 1.3 million euros ($1.5 million) and has signed a contract through June 2028.
Riera, a former Spanish international who played for Liverpool and Manchester City, has built a strong reputation in Slovenia, leading Olimpija Ljubljana to a domestic double and currently guiding Celje to a 12-point lead in the league.
Frankfurt sporting director Markus Kroesche praised Riera’s “modern, intensive, and attacking football” as the primary reason for the move.
The appointment follows the mid-January dismissal of Dino Toppmoeller.
Despite leading the “Eagles” to a third-place finish last season, Toppmoeller was sacked with the club sitting in eighth place—nine points adrift of the Champions League spots—and facing early elimination from European play.
Riera will officially take charge on Monday, February 2, after coaching one final match for Celje on Sunday.
In the meantime, interim coaches Dennis Schmitt and Alexander Meier will lead the team for Saturday’s Bundesliga clash against Bayer Leverkusen.
