Mahmoud Dahoud’s Resilience Shines Through at Eintracht Frankfurt

This summer, Mahmoud Dahoud, one of the players at Eintracht Frankfurt, seemed poised for yet another disappointing chapter in his football career. Since his ill-fated transfer to Brighton in the summer of 2023, the former German international, with two caps to his name, has faced numerous challenges.

After his spell at Brighton did not yield the expected results, Dahoud was loaned back to VfB Stuttgart for the second half of the 2023/24 season. Although he managed to score as a substitute, he only earned one starting position under head coach Sebastian Hoeneß.

Once his contract with Brighton was terminated at the end of the season, Dahoud joined Eintracht Frankfurt on a free transfer in the summer of 2024. During an emotional press conference, he switched his allegiance back to Germany after a brief, unsuccessful period representing Syria.

Under SGE head coach Dino Toppmöller, Dahoud began to receive regular playing time. Following an impressive performance as a starter against VfL Bochum during matchday nine—where he scored a goal and provided an assist—both Toppmöller and sporting director Markus Krösche expressed their admiration for his contributions. However, this positive momentum was short-lived, as Dahoud only started two additional league matches after that point and made just three substitute appearances throughout the entire 2025 calendar year.

After being cleared to leave and remaining largely uninvolved during training camp, Dahoud was included in only one of Toppmöller’s first seven matchday squads this year. Yet, unexpectedly, he emerged as a midfield starter against Mainz on matchday 10.

Last weekend, he again started against Köln, performing well in his role as a midfield ‘solo six’. Just before halftime, Dahoud scored his 14th career Bundesliga goal, prompting Bundesliga reporters to express a sense of déjà vu.

Once more, Krösche and Toppmöller are singing Dahoud’s praises in a manner reminiscent of their earlier commendations. Whether this resurgence will prove to be a fleeting moment remains uncertain, but it appears Dahoud is set to receive more opportunities.

“He deserves it because he has simply kept at it over the last few months and has always been there for the whole group, despite his difficult situation,” Toppmöller noted in an interview with Sport Bild. “He always gave his all in training and never backed down. He already played a decent game against Mainz. This time, it was all the more satisfying that he had this sense of achievement.”

Krösche added, “He’s had bad spells in his career before and has learned to deal with them. I think that helps him a lot. He’s always given his all and made himself available. Now he’s been given his chance.”