🎥 Won't accept lies: angry Bundesliga coach clashes with press! | OneFootball

Someone really worked themselves into a rage there: Albert Riera, head coach of Eintracht Frankfurt, delivered what was surely one of the most memorable press conferences in recent Bundesliga history this Friday.

The trigger for the furious outburst was several media reports over the past few days claiming there had been a falling-out between the Spaniard and star striker Jonathan Burkardt. According to those reports, Riera was supposedly unhappy with the German international’s allegedly excessive body fat percentage.

However, the coach is said not to have addressed the issue personally, but instead relayed it to Burkardt through his assistant coach – much to the confusion of the player’s camp. According to 'Bild' and 'hr', this was followed by another Riera message aimed at Frankfurt’s most prolific attacker.

When he was then asked about supposed tensions between him and his players, the 44-year-old virtually hit the roof. Reports of this kind were "total bullshit," Riera made clear twice over, instead asking the reporter: "Do you think I have a communication problem with my players? Do you think that?"

When the journalist remarked that he could use the opportunity to explain himself, Riera became even more explicit. "This is not a pub or a circus. This is a serious football club. Maybe you think this is a pub and talk to agents and journalists. There is poison around this building, but not inside this building," he made clear.

Riera also said about the Burkardt case: "Writing things is your job, but I do not accept lies." He is "not a puppet," but "a coach and demand[s] respect." Because: "The fans deserve to hear the truth."

The already tense mood around Eintracht is likely to have reached a new high after this press conference. Only a home win against HSV on Saturday afternoon would probably bring some relief...

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

📸 Neil Baynes - 2026 Getty Images