Is Michael Zetterer’s time in goal for Eintracht over? There are still seven competitive games for Frankfurt and their current goalkeeper until the winter break: five in the Bundesliga, starting this Saturday (18.30 on the FAZ live ticker for the Bundesliga and on Sky) in Cologne, and two in the Champions League (at home against Atalanta Bergamo and at FC Barcelona).
Munich-born Zetterer, 30 years old and 1.87 meters tall, dutifully guarded Hesse’s goal for six competitive matches. If his form continues and he remains injury-free, Zetterer will be guaranteed work through the end of the year.
“Zetti is number one until the winter” – that was the statement of his coach Dino Toppmöller a few weeks ago. Afterward, the football guru said, he and his coaching staff will reassess the situation. It sounds like Zetterer’s young rival Kauã Santos (22 years old) can at least hope to score goals again in the future. But will this actually happen in the new year – Eintracht hosting Borussia Dortmund in the first division one game of 2026 on January 9?
At the moment, Michael Zetterer is not a weak candidate, but rather a fixture in the Hessian goalkeeping hierarchy. With him in goal, Frankfurt have gone goalless three times in their last five competitive matches. In contrast, his partner Kauã Santos had conceded 18 goals in five games before Toppmöller replaced him with Zetterer in the Champions League home game against Liverpool on 22 October and thus took him out of action.
“Different defensive stability”
A smart decision that made Eintracht return to its defensive path. The coach praised Zetterer after the 0-0 first-class draw against Napoli that the Frankfurt team had “a different defensive stability” “also partly thanks to him.”
The former Bremen goalkeeper represents sovereignty. He exudes calm and maintains his perspective even in critical situations. He is also strong in the passing game. Zetterer also makes saves when necessary, but is not the focus of a communicative goalkeeper. Toppmöller credits him with “maturity” and “good instincts”; The two together provide Frankfurt game security and make Zetterer a “valuable player” for Eintracht.
There’s a lot to be said for Zetterer keeping goal after the winter break. And he was finally awarded the status of regular goalkeeper by the highest authorities. That would be something of a surprise – at least considering Frankfurt’s initial goalkeeping plans.
From a position of strength
The future must belong to Brazilian Kaua Santos, Frankfurt sports management has agreed for some time. Eintracht hopes to earn an impressive transfer fee of between 40 and 60 million euros from him someday. But after his ligament injury, the brilliant development of the new South American player came to a halt.
Although he was not responsible for the majority of goals conceded, Kauã Santos, with his sometimes busy demeanor, did not provide the necessary security for those up front to achieve lasting success. Apart from that, he sometimes doesn’t learn from the mistakes he makes. The increasingly difficult situation for him seems to be putting mental pressure on Kauã Santos. In contrast, Michael Zetterer, who moved from Bremen to Main in mid-August, is acting from a position of strength.
In the first three league matches and the Champions League match against Galatasaray Istanbul (5:1) he did his job perfectly. Trading him for Kauã Santos is not a necessity in sports. However, Frankfurt’s principle is to continue to actively promote the large facilities in Kauã Santos. But his return did not bring the success the team wanted.
The coach spoke about the “luxurious situation” the club has in goal. “So we made the decision with Kaua in mind.” Toppmöller later said that he dealt with the situation very well based on his behavior.
Michael Zetterer now provides bright prospects for Toppmöller. When asked, he sees him as a contender for a place in the German national team. “If someone is a regular goalkeeper at Eintracht Frankfurt and plays in the Champions League, if you see how stable he plays, how quickly he gets used to the new environment, plus his performances over the last few years, then he is definitely a candidate for the national team,” the coach said Friday in his weekly press conference.
It is not yet known exactly what prospects Eintracht used to persuade Zetterer to sign a contract this summer. “Everything has been discussed internally and remains like that, there is nothing I can or want to reveal,” said Zetterer when introduced. But he “didn’t come here because I was told I wouldn’t play this season and when Kaua was fit, I would sit on the bench and do my job there. Of course it wasn’t like that.” And that’s not what happened.
The performance principle has made Zetterer number one. A ranking that can last longer on the field.
