Timothy Chandler is no longer the first choice at Eintracht Frankfurt. This season, the 32-year-old has made only four (mostly very short) appearances. But the right-back, who has been at the club since 2014, continues to be a formative figure in Eintracht – after all, he has had a long journey with the Hessians. As he explains in an interview with our Deichstube, Chandler sees the lost “relegation final” in 2016 against Werder Bremen in retrospect as a “foundation for today’s success” of the Europa League winner. He also talks about his impression of the current Bremen team, about Werder striker Niclas Füllkrug and about Eintracht as Bayern pursuers.
Mr. Chandler, you were unbeaten in seven games with Eintracht Frankfurt, the last defeat was against Dortmund in October. Last weekend their team lost 3-0 in Cologne. Is the intermediate sprint over?
Timothy Chandler: We all knew that you could lose a game at some point. It’s important that we learn the right lessons from the defeat and do better again at home against Werder Bremen. A defeat won’t throw us off course, especially since we know exactly what caused it. We still have a lot planned for this season.
After the successful series, Frankfurt was considered one of the most promising pursuers of FC Bayern Munich. Was this assessment realistic?
That was mainly a media issue. We as a team didn’t bother with that. We only look at ourselves and at our games. Then we’ll see what comes out of it at the end of the season. We can’t influence what the other clubs do anyway. This attitude has made us strong in recent years.
Eintracht is currently in sixth place, two points behind the places that qualify for the Champions League. How do you rate your team’s chances of booking the premier class ticket?
As I said, what matters is where we end up. Looking at the table or any arithmetic games are of no use to us.
The top six teams in the Bundesliga are still represented in the DFB Cup. There are indications that one of these teams will win the cup and that seventh place in the table will be enough to start in Europe next season. Do you agree?
The probability is high, yes.
Werder are currently ninth, three points behind VfL Wolfsburg in seventh place. Is Bremen a serious contender for participation in the European Cup?
In the upper half of the table it is extremely tight. A lot is possible there.
How do you see the team from Bremen?
They perform very well as a climber. Where Werder is not the classic climber, but actually an established Bundesliga club. The team was strengthened only selectively after promotion. From the outside it seems as if a unit has grown together there that can now also play a good role in the Bundesliga.
What memories do you have of encounters with the North Germans?
In my first game against Werder in 2011, back then with 1. FC Nürnberg, I saw my first dismissal in the Bundesliga and we lost 3-1 – so the start was anything but good. But then there were also a few victories, I still remember a 5-2 win with Eintracht at home in 2014 or the DFB Cup quarter-finals in 2020. Of course, the 4-3 away win in the first leg is particularly present.
How did you experience the “relegation final” in 2016 when Werder won 1-0 and sent Eintracht into relegation?
To concede the goal so shortly before the end hurt a lot back then. But then we did a great job in the relegation. For me, this is also a cornerstone for today’s success.
Do you understand the hype that is currently being sparked around Bremen’s goalscorer Niclas Füllkrug?
German top scorers in the Bundesliga have been rather rare lately. I think the last German top scorer came from Frankfurt (smiles). It goes without saying that Niclas Füllkrug is the focus. Especially after the World Cup. We just missed each other back then in Nuremberg. He came to the club from Werder in 2014 and I returned to Eintracht in the same summer. In any case, Füllkrug is a good example of how a 30-year-old player can develop again.
Which Werder players particularly impress you?
I believe that the team comes primarily through the collective. I don’t want to single out individual players. However, I still know Niklas Stark from my time in Nuremberg.
You were a valuable member of the Eintracht team for a long time, winning the DFB Cup in 2018 and the Europa League in 2022. Now you’re more of a second choice, only making four appearances this season. How do you like the role as a reservist?
I’m a player who always gives everything for the team and the club. Whether in the starting eleven, as a substitute or on the bench. Everyone has their role and is important. Otherwise we would not have been so successful in recent years.
The “Frankfurter Rundschau” has described you as a cheerful person, a joker and integration officer. They are important for the atmosphere in the cabin. Is this characterization correct?
If the “Frankfurter Rundschau” writes that, it will probably be true (laughs). No seriously. Of course I’m up for a bit of fun in the changing room. I make no secret of that. But I also see it as my job as an experienced player to take my young colleagues by the hand and pass on my experience. The fact that I’ve known the club since I was a child helps me with that.
They say you want to end your career in 2025. Does your life plan look like this?
(laughs) Do you have a good source for that too? My contract runs until at least 2025. We’ll see what happens after that. I’m not thinking about that yet. I’m fully fit and give it my all in every training session. I want to play many more games for Eintracht.
The interviewer was Hans-Günter Klemm.
