The German Football Association (DFB) may be treading a revolutionary path when it comes to filling the post of managing director. According to a media report, Nadine Kessler is a candidate to succeed Oliver Bierhoff.
The former national player is to take over parts of the tasks of the former DFB director and will be responsible for the academy and national teams in the future, as the Munich “Abendzeitung” reported on Thursday (08/17/2023). The new technical director is to be the current U20 selection coach Hannes Wolf, as previously reported by the “Frankfurter Rundschau”.
DFB confirms: Kessler “a candidate”
The DFB later in the evening confirmed talks with Kessler, “but there are other candidates”said DFB media director Steffen Simon. “We’re not ready for contracts to be signed yet.”
The ex-European champion Kessler (35), who is currently working as a department head at the European Football Union UEFA, would be the first woman to be responsible for both the women’s team of national coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg and the men’s senior national team of national coach Hansi Flick .
One of the best in the world
The world footballer of 2014 was one of the best midfielders in the world during her active career. With VfL Wolfsburg she won the Champions League twice, the championship title twice and celebrated three DFB Cup victories. In 2016 she ended her career due to persistent knee problems and from then on she devoted herself to her career as an official.
Hannes Wolf should also get a responsible position in the DFB. According to media reports, the association plans to promote the current head coach of the U20 national team to technical director. In addition, the 42-year-old Wolf is said to be in charge of a competence team that also includes the former Bundesliga professionals Hanno Balitsch and Sandro Wagner. Kessler and Wolf would inherit Bierhoff.
Khedira negotiation failed
The 2016 European champion had to leave the DFB after the preliminary round at the World Cup in Qatar at the end of 2022, the 55-year-old was responsible for an enormously large area as DFB director. At the beginning of the year, the DFB signed Rudi Völler as the new sporting director for the senior national team and the U21s. The former team boss will give up this role again after the EM 2024. The 2014 world champion Sami Khedira had recently been discussed as a candidate for a DFB post, but negotiations with the 36-year-old failed.