Eintracht Frankfurt secure Champions League football: The reactions from Breisgau | OneFootball

Krösche: "A great achievement and a deserved reward"

Eintracht’s sporting director, Markus Krösche, praised the team’s grit and resilience after a season full of challenges:

“This is a great success. It was a tough match. The boys stuck to the plan and kept pushing. We got the job done. In the end, it was classic Eintracht style, dramatic, but deserved.”

"It’s been an intense year. We have a young team that has grown together. Coming into this season off the back of a difficult year, and then losing Omar Marmoush in the winter, we’ve still shown incredible character and resilience. I’m extremely proud of this team. Now is the time to enjoy the moment; this is the reward for a top season."

Toppmöller: "A milestone for the entire club"

Frankfurt head coach Dino Toppmöller was full of praise for his side, while also offering respect to their opponents:

"It’s an indescribable feeling, but in this moment of joy, I also want to congratulate Freiburg. Both teams deserved to be here based on their seasons. But if you look at the full campaign and this game, I believe we thoroughly earned it."

Toppmöller acknowledged the doubters and the mental strength of his squad:

“We had many sceptics from the start, maybe also because of how last season ended, but we always found the right answers. I’m incredibly proud of this young team. What they’ve accomplished is outstanding. We tried to take the pressure off before the game, but obviously the stakes were huge. To go behind from out of nowhere and come back like this, that’s impressive.”

"Qualifying for the Champions League is a milestone for the entire club. We all wanted to take this wonderful club to Europe’s biggest stage. We’ll enjoy this moment to the fullest, but there’s more responsibility ahead."

Knauff: "A very special moment"

Winger Ansgar Knauff reflected on the turning point of the game and the team’s mentality:

“We didn’t start well and went behind after a throw-in. Getting the equaliser before the break was crucial. After that, we played a really strong second half from front to back, gave very little away, created chances, and won deservedly.”

“All week we said that no matter what happens, we’d stick together – even if we went behind. That’s exactly what happened. We gave it everything. We can be very proud of what we’ve built this season. Reaching the Champions League is something truly special. You could feel that right after the final whistle when we celebrated with the fans. It was a very special moment and a reward for everything we’ve accomplished.”

Schuster: "We didn’t lose – we got to fight for something"

Freiburg coach Julian Schuster praised his team’s performance despite the heartbreaking defeat:

“We started well, were physically present, won a lot of duels, and had more possession as expected, because Frankfurt relied on transitions. We controlled that quite well. Of course, Frankfurt’s attacking quality means they’ll always get chances, but there weren’t many.”

"It was going very well for a long time. The equaliser just before the break and our missed chance right after, those were the fine margins that decide games. Later, it got chaotic, partly because of how Frankfurt approached things. That’s fair, I’d have done the same," he said.

Schuster remained proud of his team’s journey:

"Honestly, we weren’t able to beat teams like Leverkusen and Frankfurt this season. But that’s not a criticism. What matters most is what we’ve achieved together. It’s an incredible honour to coach a team with such character. We’ve kept developing and responded well to setbacks all year. That’s thanks to everyone, the players, staff, coaching team, and our amazing, sensitive fans."

He closed with a message for the fans: “I’m happy that so many of us get to go on international journeys again. And please, use this headline and no other: We didn't lose, we got to fight for something.”