Eintracht celebrate reaching the DFB-Pokal final: "This is why we play football!"
There was a lot of joy in the Eintracht Frankfurt camp after last night's 3-2 DFB-Pokal semifinal win over Stuttgart.
| Kevin Trapp. | Photo: Sven Mandel, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 |
Afterwards, there was a huge sense of relief and joy in the Eintracht Frankfurt camp.
“You have to enjoy these moments. We’ve had a long period in the league that hasn’t been as good, with a lot of disappointments. To be able to celebrate with the fans again here is a great joy. This is why we play football: to be able to share these emotions," said goalkeeper Kevin Trapp.
Trapp played a key role in Frankfurt's last final appearance, making a number of crucial saves in a penalty shootout victory over Rangers in the Europa League a year ago.
"To play two finals in the space of 12 months is not to be taken for granted for this club. We’re hugely excited. We worked hard for it and in the end deserved it too," Trapp noted.
Eintracht coach Oliver Glasner said he was "extremely happy about the victory and the spirited performance".
"“I’m very relieved and extremely proud. In the beginning we had problems with Stuttgart’s aggressiveness and physicality. We showed a reaction in the second half, attacked with power and forced the goals. It got incredibly tense again towards the end. That’s why we love the cup – although I as coach not so much," Glasner commented.
"The last goal was unnecessary and it got the crowd back into it. It was a nerve-wracking finale, VAR… At the end of the day I’m extremely happy about the win and the spirited performance. Credit to the lads for reaching a second final in two years. That shows what an awesome group we have."
Glasner's troops will face RB Leipzig in the final on June 3.
Last night's win ended a four-game winless streak for Eintracht, who face Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga on Saturday.