First training session as Riera era begins | OneFootball

The new Eintracht head coach worked with his players for the first time on the Deutsche Bank Park training pitches on Monday afternoon.

The clock showed 15:00 CET on the dot when Albert Riera kicked off his first training session as Eintracht Frankfurt head coach. The 43-year-old’s assistants, Jan Fießer and new arrivals Pablo Remon Arteta and Lorenzo Dolcetti, had previously got the pitches ready for the first session of the week. 

Board member for sport Markus Krösche and sporting director Timmo Hardung, who later followed the training session from close quarters, introduced Riera to the team at midday. The Spaniard subsequently addressed the group and wasted no time before diving into details, with the practical implementation thereof following later in the afternoon. After all, there is no time to waste given Eintracht’s visit to 1. FC Union Berlin on Friday evening. 

First session in the books 

Gathered together in the centre circle, Riera talked with Arteta, Dolcetti, Fießer and conditioning coaches Schahriar Bigdeli and Thomas Pitzke, while goalkeepers Kaua Santos, Michael Zetterer and Jens Grahl jogged some laps to warm up. 

Shortly afterwards, the pitch soon began to fill up as the outfield players arrived. Among their number was Jonathan Burkardt, who was involved in parts of the session. After a brief team talk, training got under way. Riera watched the warm-up with his arms folded and, with a smile on his face, promised his players that the ball would soon be introduced. 

True to his word, passing drills followed, and there was a tangible sense of attention to detail in almost every pass and run. “Football is all about timing,” Riera called out across the pitch. “Everybody has to know what to do at all times.”

After several rounds, they gathered back in a circle during a drinks break - a quick discussion, making the most of every minute. Then it was on to the next drill, first with small goals and later the full-sized ones, always with the ball at the players’ feet in what was an all-round intense start to the week.

Riera will oversee training every day until Thursday, before the Eagles fly to Berlin. A new ear has begun.