Oliver Bierhoff is returning to sport a good ten months after his retirement as managing director of the German Football Association (DFB) and is becoming an advisor to the New England Patriots from the US professional football league NFL.
The 55-year-old will support the Foxborough/Massachusetts franchise in its expansion activities in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The club announced this on Thursday. “American football is a great sport and the best entertainment,” said Bierhoff, who has been a fan for years and “loves the passion, the athleticism and the excitement of this game.”
Patriots play against the Colts in Frankfurt
In the German-speaking market in particular, he sees “great potential to make American football and the New England Patriots even more popular.” Germany has been a so-called “home market” for the Patriots for two years, who will play against the Indianapolis Colts in Frankfurt/Main on November 12th. New England won the Super Bowl six times with quarterback superstar Tom Brady, who has since retired.
“Business Advisor” Bierhoff will bring in his experience “in building professional structures and industry knowledge,” especially in the areas of marketing, brand management and business development. Bierhoff left the DFB at the beginning of December after the debacle at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The contract of the former national striker, who worked for the association in responsible positions for 18 years, had been terminated.
Bierhoff recently surprised in Foxborough
Oliver Bierhoff last appeared somewhat surprisingly in front of the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough when the German footballers stopped off at the New England Patriots at the start of their trip to the USA. He was traveling as part of a delegation of sports directors and managers from the Bundesliga. He had indicated that he wanted to be able to approach “certain projects” in the future “a little more freely and flexibly” after all these years. Unlike the DFB, for which he worked in responsible positions for a total of 18 years.