“It’s in our own hands” | OneFootball

Ahead of the upcoming meeting between two of his former clubs, 1990 World Cup winner Uwe Bein reflects on his time on the Main and on the Elbe, and reveals where he expects Eintracht and HSV to end the season.

Uwe Bein was Frankfurt’s string-puller in chief between 1989 and 1994, his deadly passes splitting defences and putting goals on a plate for the likes of Anthony Yeboah. Part of the Eagles side that wowed fans with a thrilling brand of attacking football known as ‘Fußball2000’, the former Germany international and 1990 World Cup winner played for Hamburger SV from 1987 to 1989 before moving to Frankfurt, who never finished lower than fifth and qualified for Europe six times in a row during Bein’s time at the club. Now 65, the former midfielder sat down with us for an interview ahead of Saturday’s clash between Eintracht and HSV.

Uwe, two of your former clubs face each other on Saturday when Hamburg visit Eintracht. How pleased were you about HSV being back in the Bundesliga?

“Year after year I was hoping HSV would be promoted, because they belong in the Bundesliga. They’ll get the points they need [to avoid relegation] – but not in Frankfurt on Saturday.”

How do you look back on your time at HSV? You scored 15 goals in 28 appearances in your second season at the club – a personal best.

“Willi Reimann was appointed head coach in November [1987] and I struggled under him at first, but things changed eventually and I made the most of my opportunities. What felt like six months later, I was playing international football. I could even have finished top scorer if I hadn’t been suspended for six games because of a bad foul on Thorsten Legat. That wasn’t a wise move.”

You developed into more of a playmaker at Eintracht…

“My game was always about setting up goals. Franz Beckenbauer obviously gave me a boost when he said: ‘Uwe always plays the killer pass.’ Our strikers at Eintracht had no trouble putting those chances away either. On top of that, my move from HSV went very smoothly. In terms of the supporters, I felt from day one as if I’d been here five years. The backing from the fans and head coach Jörg Berger was fantastic. Joining Eintracht was the right move at the right time.”

You’ve remained loyal to Eintracht to this day: you’re an ambassador for the club and visit the stadium at every opportunity. What do you make of the Eagles’ position ahead of the game against HSV. Will we finish seventh?

“I’m always optimistic. We’ve obviously dropped points but our fate is still in our hands. We’ll finish seventh, I’m sure of it. Freiburg won’t win every game and we have good chances in our home games – we can even get something at Borussia Dortmund. We also have the better goal difference.”

Can Uzun and Ritsu Doan have impressed recently. What do you make of those two?

“Can Uzun is a player who can make a difference. He was involved in practically every attacking move against Augsburg, once we’d gained a foothold in the game. There’s still room for improvement off the ball, but I’m certain he’ll continue to develop. Doan too is always capable of being a game-changer and will hopefully help us in our final few games.” 

What do Eintracht need to do better on Saturday than against Augsburg?

“Just score one or two more goals. We can do that – the three points are staying in Frankfurt.”