Former Liverpool man Albert Riera (43) ‘to be’ leading candidate for Eintracht Frankfurt job | OneFootball

Sport Bild reports Eintracht Frankfurt have selected Albert Riera as their next head coach. Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, however, lists him as a leading candidate.

The former Spain international, 43, is currently head coach of NK Celje and has mostly coached in Slovenia. He also worked the Girons de Bordeaux bench in the 2023/24 Ligue 2 season.

He posted win rates above 60 percent in his first Celje stint and during a year with Slovenia’s Olimpia Ljubjaha. He led Bordeaux to 12th in Ligue 2, leaving after the club were administratively relegated to the French fourth tier.

The choice is seen as curious given German clubs are usually heavily predisposed to hiring coaches who do not speak German. Riera’s playing career took him to Spain, Greece, Italy, Türkiye, France, Slovenia and England, but not Germany.

Other German publications have yet to corroborate the rumours. Plettenberg only describes Riera as a leading candidate. Limited German would not necessarily rule him out, and a strong command of English, which he has, can be enough in the Bundesliga.

Eintracht say they are in the final stretch of appointing a new head coach. Plettenberg reports Copenhagen’s refusal to release Jacob Neestrup has pushed Riera to the top of the list. Kjetil Knutsen is being lined up as the top alternative should Celje not release Riera from his contract.

Source: Get German Football News