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Former Liverpool winger Albert Riera is in talks to become manager of Eintracht Frankfurt. Riera is currently in charge of Slovenian side NK Celje, but is poised to land a plum job in the Bundesliga, according to reports in Germany.

Frankfurt are looking for a new manager after sacking Dino Toppmöller on January 18. Toppmöller spent two and a half years at the helm, having taken over from Oliver Glasner in June 2023. He won 53 of his 123 matches in charge, leading them to the Champions League, but was sacked after a dip in form.

Riera has emerged as the top candidate for the job following talks with the Frankfurt hierarchy and could be in place before the Bundesliga game against Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday. Sky Sports Germany says Bodo/Glimt boss Kjetil Knutsen has also been considered after Copenhagen refused to let Jacob Neestrup leave.

In the meantime, caretaker boss Dennis Schmitt will be in charge for Wednesday’s final Champions League group stage match against Tottenham. Frankfurt are eighth in the Bundesliga and have endured a miserable Champions League campaign, with just one win from seven games leaving them 33rd out of 36 teams going into the final game.

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Riera started his managerial career in Slovenia with Olimpija Ljubljana and is now in his second spell with table-toppers and Conference League side Celje after a stint with Bordeaux. The 43-year-old played for Mallorca, Bordeaux, Espanyol, Liverpool, Manchester City, Olympiakos and Galatasaray during his career.

He retired from playing in 2016 and went into coaching, having been influenced by his ex-managers, including Rafa Benitez and Ernesto Valverde. He took a coaching course alongside a group of his peers in Spanish football and remains in contact with them to this day.

“The Royal Spanish Football Federation called me a few months later, because they wanted to organise a coaching course with several internationals who had recently retired. Many of us attended: Xavi Hernández, Xabi Alonso, Raúl González, Marcos Senna and Joan Capdevila,” Riera wrote for the Coaches Voice.

“The lessons were amazing, with very intense discussions about football between us. Everything started with a question. For example: ‘If the ball arrives in a zone between the defender and the midfield, who should come out?’ That would lead to debate, each giving his own point of view – and often from the perspective of the position he had played.

“We still keep in touch today, through a WhatsApp group. It’s called UEFA Pro. The group is primarily for congratulating each other on birthdays, but also for commenting on something one of us has done in a match.”

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