Just under three months after his controversial dismissal in Frankfurt, Albert Riera has found a new club. The 44-year-old is taking over at Roter Stern.
They won’t forget the name Albert Riera anytime soon in Frankfurt. But not because the Spaniard celebrated such great successes with Eintracht. Rather, the eccentric coach left his mark on the Main with his pithy remarks.
Already at his first press conference as Frankfurt’s new coach in early February, the successor to the ousted Dino Toppmöller had turned heads. His unique disciplinary measures were also anything but ordinary. However, Riera—whose contract runs through the summer of 2028—was later unable to justify the early praise he had received with his on-field results. After just four wins in 14 Bundesliga matches, his time in Frankfurt came to an end in mid-May.
But that’s when things really got “exciting.” Riera never tired of talking about his inglorious exit from the Bundesliga club. First, he lamented that Eintracht had “utilized only 20 percent of Albert’s potential”; then, in late June, he launched a scathing critique of the club. This critique, however, did contain at least a grain of truth.
Stankovic’s Inglorious Departure
Less than three months after his time in Frankfurt ended, Riera is now eager for a new challenge. As was officially announced on Friday, the 44-year-old has signed a two-year contract with Red Star, running through June 30, 2028. That is, the top Serbian club from Belgrade that was eliminated on Tuesday by Hapoel Beer Sheva (0–1, 0–2) in the third qualifying round of the Champions League. Coach Dejan Stankovic subsequently stepped down.
Stankovic’s departure, however, was far more inglorious than Riera’s. After the 0–2 loss to the Israeli team in front of their home crowd, the 47-year-old spat in the direction of the referee and, to make matters worse, provoked his own fans.
Riera has now been brought in to steer Red Star into calmer waters and get the club back on the path to success as quickly as possible. In the league, the record champion and current double winner is already beyond reproach: With three wins in three games and a 10–1 goal differential, Red Star is currently back at the top of the table.
