National team marketed too much?
“Beautifulness”: Ex-DFB boss defends itself against criticism
04.05.2025 – 5:09 p.m.Reading time: 2 min.
Oliver Bierhoff worked for the DFB for over 18 years. At the end of his term, criticism had been hailed. The European champion does not want to let this sit on him.
Oliver Bierhoff has resisted the criticism of his time as a DFB director with clear words. In the “Double Pass” valley group at Sport1, the former international reacted to the accusation that the national team had been marketed too much under his leadership and alienated the fans.
“This is really a nonsense,” said Bierhoff. Especially in the run-up to the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the DFB team undertook fewer advertising activities than before the title in 2014. Crucial criterion for the end was the performance on the field: “We just played badly. But it didn’t go because we had a commercial more.”
The appearances on the square were the main problem for Bierhoff 2018 and the early World Cup 2022. “If you play well, you can do everything,” emphasized the 57-year-old-and referred to the canceled Ibiza trip of the Bayern professionals: “Then you can fly to Ibiza with the private plane and then everything is okay.”
When it comes to external representation of the national team, Bierhoff visibly came into rage in the show. From the DFB’s point of view, the relationship with the fans has improved since the 2024 home European Championship. In terms of content, however, Bierhoff’s opinion basically “changed nothing”. You continue to play “at 9:00 p.m. in the evening. We have four hairdressers. You always said: You are the national team, you have a hairdresser there,” complained Bierhoff: “Now we have four hairdressers. I’m going crazy.”
The former striker had entered the DFB in 2004 as a team manager. Both the 2014 World Cup title and the disappointing tournaments in Russia and Qatar fall during his term. After the World Cup out 2022, his contract was terminated prematurely at the DFB. Bierhoff is currently working as a consultant at the American football team New England Patriots.