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Eintracht Frankfurt have reportedly narrowed their search for a successor to former Board Member for Sport Markus Krösche to two candidates. According to Florian Plettenberg, 1. FC Nürnberg sporting executive Joti Chatzialexiou and RB Leipzig managing director for sport Marcel Schäfer are now the leading contenders for the vacant position.
One of the two is expected to receive the appointment, with a decision potentially imminent. Frankfurt’s supervisory board will ultimately determine who assumes responsibility for the club’s sporting operations. Plettenberg reports that concrete discussions have already taken place between Chatzialexiou, newly appointed Frankfurt CEO Axel Hellmann, and members of the supervisory board.
The latest developments represent a significant narrowing of the candidate field. Former Eintracht defender Christoph Spycher, who had previously emerged as a leading candidate, is reportedly no longer under consideration.
As Get German Football News examined in its comprehensive analysis of Krösche’s departure, the eventual appointment comes at a particularly consequential moment for Frankfurt, who are attempting to restructure their sporting leadership following the end of Krösche’s five-year tenure.
Joti Chatzialexiou emerges as a leading candidate
The 50-year-old Chatzialexiou has served as Nürnberg’s sporting executive since the summer of 2024, having previously spent many years working for the German Football Federation. The Frankfurt native also possesses connections to Eintracht, having previously worked as a youth coach at the club.
His extensive experience in German youth football could prove particularly attractive given Frankfurt’s intention to place greater emphasis on domestic recruitment and developing talent through their own academy. Regional broadcaster Hessischer Rundfunk reports that Chatzialexiou currently enjoys an advantage over Schäfer in the selection process.
Nürnberg, meanwhile, have publicly acknowledged the interest surrounding their sporting executive. The 2. Bundesliga club praised his work and described attention from other clubs as recognition of his achievements. However, Nürnberg also stated that it had not received any direct approach from Frankfurt as of Wednesday afternoon.
This does not necessarily contradict reports of discussions with Chatzialexiou himself, but suggests that formal negotiations between the clubs have yet to begin. The second candidate, like Krösche himself, could be poached directly from the Red Bull system.
Marcel Schäfer’s Leipzig position could complicate Frankfurt’s plans
Schäfer represents another experienced candidate, having previously worked as sporting director and managing director at VfL Wolfsburg before taking up his current position with RB Leipzig.
The 42-year-old has been heavily involved in Leipzig’s recent squad restructuring, including the appointment of Argentine head coach Martín Demichelis and the extensive personnel changes accompanying the 2026/27 campaign.
As examined in GGFN‘s comprehensive RB Leipzig tactical preview, the Saxons entered the season following a period of considerable upheaval, with questions surrounding the club’s coaching decisions and longer-term sporting direction.
The sacking of head coach Ole Werner this summer was, according to reliable sources, something pushed for by former RB Head of Global Soccer Jürgen Klopp. Schäfer himself reportedly found himself caught in the middle of disagreements between Klopp and Red Bull executive Oliver Mintzlaff.
Leipzig’s performances have subsequently been characterized by extraordinary inconsistency. New head coach Martín Demichelis’ German Red Bulls have managed to look consistently good at home this season, but possess atrocious away form.
The contrast became particularly apparent earlier this month. After Leipzig demolished Frankfurt 6-0 at home, Demichelis’ side suffered a humiliating 6-1 defeat away at Bayern Munich. Rumors that Demichelis could be replaced by former RB trainer Julian Nagelsmann persist. Red Bull’s new global football chief Roger Schmidt has publicly backed Demichelis, although such assurances offer little certainty should the team’s results fail to improve.
Schäfer delivered a scathing assessment of the Bayern defeat in comments subsequently covered by GGFN, describing his team’s performance as a complete failure and insisting that the club needed to confront its shortcomings.
Chatzialexiou may be the SGE’s preferred choice, but Schäfer himself may be more interested in the job.l
Frankfurt supervisory board’s decision expected soon
The reported elimination of Spycher leaves Frankfurt with two candidates offering somewhat different professional backgrounds. Chatzialexiou brings extensive experience in German youth development and a successful spell overseeing Nürnberg’s sporting operations. Schäfer offers an established Bundesliga executive résumé, including responsibility for squad planning and sporting management at Wolfsburg and Leipzig.
Both candidates would inherit considerable responsibilities at Frankfurt. Krösche’s departure followed a period of growing internal uncertainty, while the club’s leadership has acknowledged the need to reduce its financial dependence on lucrative player sales and devote greater attention to sustainable squad development.
Frankfurt will also need to address pressing personnel questions ahead of the January transfer window while establishing a productive working relationship between the new sporting executive, CEO Hellmann, and head coach Adi Hütter. With the supervisory board reportedly preparing to make its final decision, Frankfurt’s search for a new sporting chief appears to be approaching its conclusion.
