Mahmoud Dahoud’s Resurgence at Eintracht Frankfurt

This summer, several players at Eintracht Frankfurt faced the prospect of being let go, and it seemed that Mahmoud Dahoud’s career was heading toward another disappointing chapter. Since his difficult transfer to Brighton in the summer of 2023, where he struggled to find his footing, Dahoud’s journey has been fraught with challenges.

The former international, who has represented Germany twice, could not secure a place with the Seagulls and was subsequently loaned back to VfB Stuttgart for the latter half of the 2023/24 season. Despite making a mark with a goal after coming off the bench, he managed only one starting appearance 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, where he announced his decision to switch his allegiance back to Germany after a tumultuous period representing Syria.

Under the guidance of SGE head coach Dino Toppmöller, Dahoud began to earn consistent playing time. Both Toppmöller and sporting director Markus Krösche praised his exceptional performance as a starter against VfL Bochum on matchday nine, where he scored and assisted, signaling a potential turnaround in his form.

However, this resurgence quickly proved to be a fleeting moment. Following that match in early November 2024, Dahoud made only two additional league starts and appeared briefly in three substitute roles throughout the entire calendar year of 2025.

After being cleared to leave and remaining largely inactive in training camp, Dahoud found himself included in only one of Toppmöller’s seven initial matchday squads this season. In a surprising turn, he re-emerged as a starting midfielder against Mainz on matchday ten.

He continued to feature prominently, starting against Köln this past weekend and performing admirably in the midfield as a ‘solo six’. Just before halftime, Dahoud scored his 14th career Bundesliga goal, prompting a sense of déjà vu among Bundesliga reporters.

Once again, Toppmöller and Krösche lauded Dahoud’s contributions, echoing sentiments from the previous year. Whether this represents a sustained resurgence for Dahoud remains to be seen, but it is clear he is poised for more opportunities.

Toppmöller stated, “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. He has consistently given his all in training and has shown resilience. His performance against Mainz was commendable, and it was gratifying to see him achieve that sense of success.”

Krösche added, “He has faced difficult periods in his career before and has learned to cope with them. That experience is invaluable. He has always exerted himself and made himself available. Now, he’s finally getting his chance.”