Mahmoud Dahoud’s Resurgence at Eintracht Frankfurt

Among the Eintracht Frankfurt players navigating a tumultuous summer, former German international Mahmoud Dahoud seemed poised for yet another disappointing chapter in his career. His journey has been marred by misfortune since his ill-fated move to Brighton in the summer of 2023.

The ex-Borussia Mönchengladbach and Borussia Dortmund midfielder struggled to establish himself at Brighton, ultimately being loaned back to VfB Stuttgart during the latter half of the 2023/24 season. While he managed to score off the bench, Dahoud only received one starting opportunity under head coach Sebastian Hoeneß.

Following the termination of his contract with Brighton at the end of the season, Dahoud joined Eintracht Frankfurt on a free transfer in the summer of 2024. His arrival was marked by an emotional press conference in which he switched his international allegiance back to Germany after a difficult stint with Syria.

Under the guidance of SGE head coach Dino Toppmöller, Dahoud began to receive regular playing time. Toppmöller and sporting director Markus Krösche both expressed high praise for Dahoud after an impressive performance against VfL Bochum on matchday nine, where he scored a goal and provided an assist, seemingly signaling his resurgence.

However, this promising moment proved to be a short-lived false dawn. Following that match in early November 2024, Dahoud started only two more league games and made just three brief substitute appearances throughout the 2025 calendar year.

After being cleared to leave and remaining largely ineffective in training camp, Dahoud found himself included in just one of Toppmöller’s initial seven matchday squads this season. Yet, unexpectedly, he emerged as a midfield starter in the match against Mainz on matchday 10.

Dahoud continued his run in the starting lineup against Köln, demonstrating solid performance as a central midfielder and netting his 14th career Bundesliga goal just before halftime. Bundesliga reporters couldn’t help but feel a sense of déjà vu.

In a reflection of sentiments expressed over a year ago, Krösche and Toppmöller once again lauded Dahoud’s contributions. Whether this latest turn of events constitutes a true resurgence remains uncertain.

Regardless, it appears Dahoud will be afforded more opportunities moving forward.

“He deserves this chance because he has persevered over the last few months and stood by the team despite facing difficulties,” Toppmöller remarked in an interview with Sport Bild. “He has consistently given his all in training and never shied away from challenges. His performance against Mainz was commendable, making his recent success all the more rewarding.”

Krösche also emphasized Dahoud’s resilience in the Sport Bild article: “He has experienced tough times in his career and has learned to manage them. This experience is invaluable. He has always put forth maximum effort and made himself available. Now, he is finally getting his chance.”

GGFN | Peter Weis