Twilight of the Gods in the heart of Europe: At 6:40 p.m., more than half an hour before kick-off for this top-class farewell game, applause erupted for several minutes.

Alex Meier, the protagonist of the special football game between Team Zopf and Team Inside, came out on the pitch all alone and took the audience's ovations.

Ralph Weitbrecht

sports editor.

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"Alex Meier football god" - these calls were to be heard many times over the course of the evening.

Meier, now 39 years old, is an icon of unity.

One who has remained humble and down-to-earth throughout his career.

One who never took himself seriously – and yet has become so important for Eintracht.

Former companions of Alex Meier

379 competitive games, 137 goals, top scorer in the Bundesliga and second division, DFB Cup winner: the man from Buchholz in der Nordheide, who has made his home in Frankfurt, has achieved great things.

It goes without saying that the club he has been on the ball for since 2004 has given him a big stage.

On Wednesday, the arena in the city forest was very well filled with 32,000 spectators.

What made Meier particularly proud: that so many former companions and Eintracht legends accepted his invitation to do him honor in a playful way.

Very veteran professionals like Anthony Yeboah and Jay-Jay Okocha were also actively involved when it was a question of providing an entertaining and highly attractive football spectacle of a special kind.

Team Zopf, coached by the old warhorses Friedhelm Funkel and Armin Reutershahn, separated 8:8 from the inside team, in which Armin Veh and long-time material manager Franco Lionti pulled the strings on the coaching bench.

Meier scored six goals for both teams, for which he played one half each.

Board spokesman Axel Hellmann praised Meier, who left the field in the 86th minute and was accompanied by standing ovations on his lap of honor for several minutes, as “one of the greatest in the history of Eintracht.

Alex, you are a football legend, a football god.” In his honor there will be the “Alex Meier goal wall” in front of the arena in the future.