“Uncompromising ambition” | OneFootball

Dino Toppmöller on the DFB Cup game against FV Engers, personnel news and the upcoming season.

After a summer of intensive pre-season preparations, Eintracht begin the new campaign at FV Engers 07 in the first round of the DFB Cup. At his pre-match press conference, Dino Toppmöller spoke about...

… the first competitive game of 2025/26: “Pre-season was very tough but we used the time well, which is the main thing. The conditions were good and the lads did very well. We’re really looking forward to finally getting started.”

… team news: “Kauã Santos is on the right track and returned to training on Wednesday, as did Ellyes Skhiri, Can Uzun and Nene Brown. Can will be back in our squad for the cup game, but Kauã, Ellyes and Nene aren’t available yet.”

… facing FV Engers 07: “We’re obviously being professional in our preparations for FV Engers. It’s about respecting the opposition and, above all, our own game. The lads have that hunger and joy that comes with getting going again. It’s a ‘do-or-die’ game, and that’s how we’re approaching it. We want to do all we can to show why we’re clear favourites.”

… the new season: “Finishing third last year was something we earned over the course of the entire season. I don’t want to pour cold water on things, but I also don’t want to set any concrete targets for the campaign. Just like last term, we’ll aim to be as successful as possible with uncompromising ambition, and then we’ll see where that takes us. We have 34 incredibly tough Bundesliga matches ahead of us.”

… Niels Nkounkou: “Against Aston Villa in particular he was superb defensively, while also getting forward well. He’s been a positive surprise in pre-season and on Sunday he’ll get the chance to show it in a match.”

… Elye Wahi: “He’s made really good progress since the start of training camp in the USA, and that’s been clear to see in our friendlies. The goals he scored came about as a result of the defensive contribution he brought to the team. I made a point of showing him afterwards - both in a one-on-one conversation and in front of the whole squad - that his commitment and hard work had been rewarded. If he keeps those things in mind, we’re going to have a lot of fun with him. On the whole, he’s been playing as if a weight has been lifted. Now he needs to carry on this positive run from the past few weeks.”