FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Dino Toppmöller paid the price for Eintracht Frankfurt's leaky defense as he was fired Sunday ahead of two crucial games that will decide whether Frankfurt avoids an early exit from the Champions League.
Toppmöller had been with Frankfurt since 2023 and led the team back to the Champions League after finishing third in the Bundesliga last season.
The club said in a statement their working relationship ended with immediate effect.
His last game was Frankfurt's 3-3 draw with Werder Bremen on Friday, which took the team's winless run to four games. Frankfurt has conceded 39 goals in 17 Bundesliga games.
“We in the sporting management and collectively on the board have come to the conclusion that we need a fresh impetus due to the downward trend in recent weeks,” said sporting director Markus Krösche. "So far this season, we have not lived up to the ethos of Eintracht Frankfurt standing for dynamic, aggressive and compact football.”
U21 coach Dennis Schmitt and U19 coach Alexander Meier take temporary charge of Frankfurt ahead of Wednesday's Champions League game at Azerbaijani club Qarabag. Failing to win that could mean results elsewhere make it impossible for Frankfurt to qualify for the playoff round as one of the top 24 teams.
The following week, Frankfurt hosts Tottenham in both teams' last game of the league stage.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Eintracht Frankfurt's coach Dino Toppmöller reacts during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Werder Bremen and Eintracht Frankfurt, in Bremen, Germany, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (dpa via AP)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Nacho Elvira benefitted from dramatic final-hole mishaps by Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry to win the Dubai Invitational by one shot on Sunday, securing his third title on the European tour.
The 190th-ranked Elvira did what the two Ryder Cup stars couldn’t and kept out of the trouble down No. 18, making a stress-free par and shooting 69 to finish on 10 under in the first tournament of 2026.
A few minutes earlier, Lowry had been on that number heading down the last but found the greenside bunker from the middle of the fairway, then water from the sand. He made a double-bogey 6 for a round of 69 and wound up two strokes back.
Before that, McIlroy arrived at the 18th tee a shot behind Lowry but pushed his drive way right into the rough, sent his approach into the bunker, and couldn’t get up and down. McIlroy and Lowry were tied for third place.
Daniel Hillier of New Zealand shot 65 and was alone in second place on 9 under.
“It means the world,” said Elvira, whose wife and children ran onto the green to celebrate with the Spaniard. “You tell me on Tuesday I would be winning this, I’d never believe you.
“Anything that happens after this, nothing can compare.”
Lowry was seeking a first European tour title since September 2022 and a first win anywhere since capturing a team victory with close friend McIlroy at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in April 2024.
Elvira started the final round in the lead and held a three-shot advantage on 11 under after making birdie at No. 7. Then came back-to-back bogeys from No. 8 before he saved par at the par-5 No. 10 after hitting into water off his second shot, keeping him in touch with Lowry, McIlroy and a crowd of challengers.
Around an hour before the finish, five players — Hillier, McIlroy, Lowry, Marcus Armitage and Elvira — shared the lead on 9 under before Lowry rolled in a 30-footer for birdie at No. 15 to take the solo lead. He couldn’t hang on.
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland hits off the first tee during the final round of Dubai Invitational golf tournament in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Shane Lowry of Ireland hits off the first tee during the final round of Dubai Invitational golf tournament in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Shane Lowry of Ireland hits off the first tee during the final round of Dubai Invitational golf tournament in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Nacho Elvira of Spain hits off the first tee during the final round of Dubai Invitational golf tournament in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
