Eintracht Frankfurt’s astonishing finances laid bare ahead of Aberdeen FC clash as Germans post record numbers

Red and black are not just the colours of Eintracht Frankfurt. They paint the picture of a club that has given itself an astonishing transformation by beating Rangers in the Europa League Final in May 2022.

The Bundesliga giants have just posted a record turnover of £266million for season 2022-23, including a record merchandise numbers for shirt sales of £20m as they get set to face Aberdeen in Frankfurt on Thursday to launch the Europa Conference League group G campaign.

The club was deeply in the red three seasons ago, after Covid hit finances, but have just announced a £15.1m profit on last season as they used the prize from beating Rangers in Seville – a passport into last term’s Champions League – to lift them into the black. That included a staggering £121m media rights for Eintracht, from television money in the lucrative German market, which would blow away the Pittodrie budget as the Scots face another sellout 50,000 crowd at the Waldstadion.

It was the absence of those passionate fans in the Covid-hit season of 2020-21 which cost Eintracht dearly but they have made up for it since, taking 30,000 to the Nou Camp to beat Barcelona in the Europa League in 2021-22 and then the famous white shirt worn in the finals against Rangers has flown off the shelves.

Getting a seat at the Waldstadion has become impossible. It’s the hottest ticket in town since the Seville triumph. Spectators and hospitality brought in £49m to the Eintracht coffers and the stadium is putting the finishing touches to an increase to 58,000 capacity.

The have just had a bumper transfer season for sales, netting £78million, while they also made sure they trimmed the overheads from £62m to £49m by refusing to spend much more than £25m o new