Frankfurt am Main is the largest city in the state of Hesse and Germany's main business center. Its international airport is the country's top hub. The city is renowned for its wealth of museums, including the magnificent Städel Museum, the German Film Museum, the Museum of Architecture, and the Schirn Kunsthalle art gallery, among others. It is also the birthplace of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, whose name and works are deeply connected to the city. Additionally, Frankfurt is a landmark for German football: it houses the headquarters of the German Football Association, the base of the German national team, and the Römer square, where celebrations for the national team's major victories over the past 35 years, such as the 1990 World Cup and the 1996 European Championship, have taken place.
Frankfurt will host five matches of Euro 2024: Switzerland vs. Germany, Denmark vs. England, Belgium vs. Slovakia, Slovakia vs. Romania, and a round of 16 match. All these matches will be held at the "Waldstadion", the home arena of "Eintracht". Opened in 1925, it has undergone several modernizations, with the most recent reconstruction between 2002 and 2005 converting it into a modern, football-only stadium without athletic facilities for the 2006 World Cup. Its current capacity is 58,000 spectators, making it the seventh-largest football stadium in Germany.
"Eintracht" is the main team of the city and the region as a whole. The Eagles have only one championship title, won in 1959, but they boast five national cups (1974, 1975, 1981, 1988, 2018) and two European cups: the 1979/80 UEFA Cup and the 2021/22 Europa League. Eintracht is beloved in Germany and beyond for its cup spirit, fight, and dedication. If you're lucky, you might come across a great mural in Frankfurt commemorating Eintracht's triumph in the 1980 UEFA Cup. The main figure in this street art is Karl-Heinz Körbel, nicknamed Charlie, who still holds the record for the most Bundesliga matches played, with 602, all for Eintracht, winning half of the club's trophies.
Few people know that Frankfurt is not only about "Eintracht" but also several other teams. The most successful among them is "Frankfurt", based in the eastern part of the city in the bourgeois district of Bornheim. It currently plays in the Southwest Regional League, but it has had at least two good eras: the pre-war period, peaking with the 1939 German Cup final, and the late 2000s, marked by their participation in the Second Bundesliga, remembered by fans for, among other things, two city derbies with "Eintracht". Incidentally, "Frankfurt" has its own small fan scene. Their ultras group is called Block 385, founded in 2017 as a merger of three other factions: Armada Bornheim, Pugnatores Ultras, and Senseless Crew 2002. However, there is no special rivalry with Eintracht fans. Moreover, older generations of fans of these teams have good relationships with each other.
Eintracht's dominance in the city's fan scene is absolute. Its fan movement includes numerous ultras and hooligan groups, with Ultras Frankfurt 1997 (ultras) and Brigade Nassau 1996 (hooligans) being particularly notable. They are among the best in their field.
Frankfurt will surprise you with its charm, preservation of traditions and culture. It is multifaceted and contrasting. Visit it, and you will undoubtedly find something interesting for yourself.
