Mahmoud Dahoud did not approach media representatives in the mixed zone of the Cologne football arena. But even from afar, the Frankfurt midfielder seemed to be feeling what he felt after Saturday night’s 4-3 win at FC: incredible.
The 29-year-old looked up for a moment and beamed. Within range of the microphone that Eintracht’s media department had prepared for him. Dahoud, the number 18, was in demand at the end of a turbulent matchday. For the second time in a row, having previously only been substituted briefly twice, he was part of Rhineland’s starting line-up. And for the first time this season he scored, a crucial 2-1 before the break.
Rare goals: Dahoud’s last success came in November 2024, in a 7-2 home win against Bochum. Out of nowhere, this former national player has once again made a big impact on the big football stage. This is an extraordinary story. One that can encourage other professionals who seem to have fallen behind in the sport.
“If you keep at it, you will get a chance”
Dahoud, a role model for his fellow professionals who are going through difficult times and are no longer in the limelight. “This is an example for every player, not only in our squad, that there is always a moment – if you keep at it, you will get a chance,” said coach Dino Toppmöller of his midfielder’s unexpected return. Frankfurt sporting director Markus Krösche also praised Dahoud for “always pushing forward” despite the difficult times he has experienced. “This is a signal for every player, for young players.”
The sporting director and Toppmöller are very pleased with the apparent turn in Dahoud’s long-suffering career. How times can change: last summer, the professional player born in Amude, Syria was still one of the sales candidates, but in fact he no longer played a role in the plans of the Champions League participant.
Eintracht released him to hold talks with other clubs, which is also the reason Dahoud did not fly to the training camp in the United States. In the summer, offers for Dahoud’s position were “very high”. The Frankfurt team know that they want to attract teammate Fares Chaibi “. Tuta is also still there, so Mo knows his position,” said Toppmöller after the 1-0 win against Mainz the day before and reported “discussions are always open” with Dahoud.
Chaibi is now a regular player in sixth position. In Cologne he put in a strong performance for long periods. Arthur Theate headed his cross to make it 1-1, becoming the Algerian-French footballer’s sixth assist this season.
Tuta from Brazil, who is good in the air, moved to Qatar in early August. And now there is a gap in the defensive midfield, so new opportunities open up for Dahoud. Teammate Oscar Hojlund has been out with injury for some time. Swedish international Hugo Larsson is also currently unable to play due to a torn muscle fibre. And Ellyes Skhiri, whose offensive game is not one of his strong points, was only on the bench for 78 minutes in Cologne before coming on for Dahoud.
Technically strong professionals have dynamism and speed. His passing security gives Frankfurt’s game structure. “Those are the qualities that Mo has, especially on the ball – verticality and offensive presence,” said Krösche. With the elimination of Dahoud and two-time scorer Jonathan Burkardt, the Hessians lost ground, having to accept margins of 2:4 and 3:4 in an exciting final lap and only managing to maintain their lead – which was actually comfortable – until the finish with great effort and a little luck.
In particular, offensive players Elye Wahi (for Burkardt) and Jean-Matteo Bahoya (for Knauff) who came on in the 77th minute were disappointing in front of a crowd of 50,000. Wahi lost too many balls. One of them “certainly didn’t promote themselves to get more uptime,” Toppmöller said afterward without naming names. The Wahi striker, who has been unsuccessful for a long time and who thinks a change in winter could be a way out, should definitely feel noticed.
Mahmoud Dahoud, on the other hand, is likely to receive further playing time from Toppmöller following his rise in the Hessian hierarchy, which was aided by injuries and fluctuations in form among team-mates. Although the situation has been very unsatisfactory for the player for a long time, the coach recently said that he told him that he wanted to continue progressing at Frankfurt.
And Dahoud, who never complained about his predicament, kept his word with action: “Mo never lets himself down. He always tries hard and performs very well in substitute training.” “It’s no coincidence that he rewarded himself with this,” Toppmöller said. Team-mate Ansgar Knauff also heaped praise on Dahoud in Cologne, describing it as a “huge win” and highlighting his tenacity in fighting for a place in the squad.
Dahoud, who is somewhat media shy, gave an insight into his inner life on the Eintracht podcast. He spoke about how the last few months have been very difficult for him and about a time of suffering for every football player. But he remained positive. In Cologne, Dahoud was the center of attention on the pitch. His persistence during the long start-up period has now paid off for him and Eintracht. With an exemplary attitude, Dahoud chose the right path.
