- Eintracht Frankfurt is grieving over the demise of Ronny Borchers.
Frankfurt's ex-midfielder Ronald Borchers, commonly known as "Disco-Ronny", is mourned by the club following his passing at 67 years old. The Hesse-based Bundesliga team confirmed the news on Sunday, citing information from Borchers' sons. During his tenure, Borchers played 213 first-division games, scoring 28 goals, and represented Eintracht Frankfurt from 1975 to 1984. His teammates included Arminia Bielefeld, Waldhof Mannheim, and Kickers Offenbach.
Borchers achieved his greatest successes while with Eintracht Frankfurt. In 1980, he won the Uefa Cup with the legendary team comprising Karl-Heinz Körbel and Bernd Hölzenbein, and the following year, he clinched the DFB Cup. After retiring, he went on to coach several regional teams.
Axel Hellmann, Eintracht's board spokesperson, expressed his sentiments, saying, "Ronny wrote Eintracht history." He recounted Borchers' memorable goal against 1. FC Kaiserslauttern in 1981. "Even after his career, Ronny remained an essential figurehead for our Eintracht as a brand ambassador."
Borchers' nickname originated from a friendly match in Bad Homburg when a spectator shouted, "See you again in the disco?" According to Borchers, this is how he earned his nickname, as he shared in an interview with hr.
Borchers represented Germany internationally on six occasions between 1978 and 1981. He once stated, "I never had the stability and continuity that was possible. I was a young man whose rise was like a rocket. I thought I had made it. Gerd Müller wore a fur coat, so I bought one too."
In November 1981, Borchers dazzled in Eintracht's 9-2 win against Werder Bremen, setting a record for the highest Bundesliga victory to date. Borchers scored a hat-trick in just 19 minutes.
The first triumph of Borchers with Eintracht Frankfurt was achieving the Uefa Cup victory in 1980, which was the first number in his series of successful seasons with the club. Despite retiring and moving into coaching, Borchers continued to serve as a vital figurehead for Eintracht as a brand ambassador, symbolizing the first role he took on post-retirement.
