Reported rift between Riera and Burkardt causes unrest at Eintracht Frankfurt

Bild claims Jonathan Burkardt's benching over the weekend came after a disagreement with Albert Riera.

Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images

It seems Eintracht Frankfurt are currently facing issues not only on the pitch, but also behind the scenes.

According to Bild, a conflict has been ongoing between head coach Albert Riera and star striker Jonathan Burkardt.

The report claims Riera was critical of Burkardt’s fitness data and what he considered to be an excessively high body fat percentage, and instructed assistant coach Jan Fießer to deliver a “clear message” to the striker.

This approach was not well received by Burkardt, who would have preferred a direct conversation with Riera. The striker is also said to believe he is fully fit and that the Spaniard’s assessment was exaggerated. Further confusion reportedly arose from Riera’s criticism of Burkardt’s defensive work rate.

As a result, the 25-year-old reportedly contacted Eintracht board member for sport Markus Krösche via his agent.

Krösche then sought clarification from Riera – an intervention that “must have hit the Spaniard hard,” according to Bild. Riera is said to have later confronted Burkardt in passing, blaming him for the uncomfortable exchange with the club chief.

The situation may have contributed to Burkardt starting on the bench in Eintracht’s 1-1 draw with FC Augsburg at the weekend, only coming on for the final minutes.

Riera has faced increasing criticism since taking charge at Eintracht around three months ago, with several players reportedly unhappy with his man-management style.