The China Mail - Toppmoeller has ascendant Frankfurt challenging their limits

With the tie delicately poised after a 1-1 draw in London, Toppmoeller was looking for any additional advantage against a Spurs team desperate to win amid a calamitous season which has them lounging in 15th place in the Premier League.

So amid the tension of a season-defining week, Toppmoeller took the somewhat unusual step of giving his charges the day off on Monday.

Known for honest answers and an aversion to cliches, the young coach sensed his side lacked "energy" and needed "another day away from football" after Sunday's 3-0 league win over Heidenheim.

That win kept Frankfurt third in the Bundesliga and on track for their highest domestic finish in three decades, but the 44-year-old said "it was easy to see one or two of our players were at their limit".

Toppmoeller, who as a player had a brief stint at Manchester City without making an appearance along with a season at Frankfurt, felt that less is more.

"That way, their motivation and anticipation increases again and their natural joy for the game simply returns," Toppmoeller said of the lighter training week.

"The lads are already looking forward to the return match in front of our home fans, but it's important that they switch off and then complete the final training session on Wednesday with full intensity."

- A pedigree coach -

Toppmoeller may be in just his second full season in top-level coaching, but he hails from strong coaching pedigree.

His father, Klaus, also coached Frankfurt but is best known for his 2002 season as Bayer Leverkusen boss, when he was named Germany's coach of the year.

That season, he had the Werkself on course for a remarkable treble, but would finish without a trophy after a remarkable collapse which gave rise to their 'Neverkusen' nickname.

Leverkusen lost the Champions League final to a Zinedine Zidane-inspired Real Madrid, the German Cup final to Schalke and let a five-point lead slip with three games remaining to finish second in the Bundesliga.

The younger Toppmoeller, named Dino in honour of Italian goalkeeping legend and 1982 World Cup winner Dino Zoff, has completed an impressive coaching apprenticeship, with assistant manager stints at Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig.

Arriving in summer 2023 for his first season as head coach of a top-flight side, Toppmoeller took Frankfurt to sixth place and a Europa League berth.

The team have had to overcome adversity this season with the loss of star forward Omar Marmoush, who left Frankfurt for Manchester City in the winter break, having chalked up 20 goals and 14 assists in half a season.

While the sale was just the latest to fill Frankfurt's coffers -- Marmoush arrived on a free and was sold for 75 million euros ($85 million) 18 months later -- Toppmoeller's task was to recreate his output.

Despite the club enduring a lean run with one win in five games after Marmoush's departure, Hugo Ekitike stepped up, ably supported by Jean-Matteo Bahoya, Fares Chaibi and veteran Mario Goetze.

Frankfurt have now won four of their past six. In the Europa League, a victory on Thursday would have the 2022 winners on course to repeat the feat.

I.Ko--ThChM