Neuendorf new DFB president: “Football has to be the focus, not quarrels within the association”

Sinning prevails over Koch

Bernd Neuendorf is the new President of the German Football Association. The 60-year-old prevailed in the election at the DFB Bundestag on Friday in Bonn with 193:50 votes against Peter Peters (59). Neuendorf came as a candidate for the influential amateur representatives, Peters was supported by professional football. The election in the World Conference Center became necessary after Fritz Keller resigned from office in May 2021.

“I would like to do everything to ensure that this association comes to rest again,” said Neuendorf in his application speech immediately before the election. “That we can say in a few years that the work was worth it.” His core message is: “Football must be the focus again, not the quarrels at the top of the association.”

People are “simply tired” of reading about scandals and house searches again and again. “They turn away, they are annoyed, they no longer feel represented,” said Neuendorf. “We need a new culture of togetherness. And I’m optimistic that we can do that.”

DFB President Neuendorf: “We have to keep the shop together”

The crisis-experienced association has high hopes for Neuendorf. Four presidents have resigned early since 2012. Most recently, Keller had to take this step after he called Vice President Rainer Koch the name of a Nazi judge during a DFB meeting. It was the low point of months of wrangling. Since then, the association has been run by Koch and Peters on an interim basis.

Neuendorf is seen as a career changer in football. It was only in 2019 that he took over the presidency of the Mittelrhein Association. The SPD politician previously worked, among other things, as State Secretary in the Ministry for Family, Children, Youth, Culture and Sport of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia. During his speech before the election, applause could be heard for a short time in the Bonn conference hall. Because there were two candidates for the first time, the vote was carried out in secret.

Neuendorf previously campaigned for a return to a trusting cooperation with the professional camp. “We have to keep the shop together, there is no alternative to that,” he said, emphasizing: “We have great opportunities to advance football in our country in the coming years.”

Sinning wins election against Koch: Long-time DFB official remains on the board

Update 3:38 p.m.: The controversial top official Rainer Koch will no longer sit on the Executive Committee of the German Football Association. The much-criticized 63-year-old clearly lost to his opponent Silke Sinning in the election for Vice President at the DFB Bundestag in Bonn on Friday. As the previous 1st Vice President, Koch had led the association on an interim basis three times in the past few years, after Wolfgang Niersbach, Reinhard Grindel and, most recently, Fritz Keller, each resigned prematurely from the office of President.

Sinning belonged to the team of Peters, who was defeated in the previous election of the new DFB president. Nevertheless, the sports scientist with a doctorate competed against Koch and won the vote with 163:68 votes. This ends Koch’s 15-year term in the DFB presidium. However, as a representative of the South German Football Association, he will continue to sit on the association’s board of directors.

Soon with the Nmechas? The pairs of brothers in DFB history

Erwin (15) & Helmut Kremers (8) – 23 appearances

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As of January 4, 2022

Lars (19) & Sven Bender (7) – 26 missions

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Bernd (15; in the picture) & Gert Dörfel (11) – 26 missions

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Bernhard (19; pictured) & Hans Klodt (17) – 36 appearances

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Uli (35) & Dieter Hoeneß (6) – 41 missions

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Klaus (56) & Thomas Allofs (2) – 58 appearances

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Fritz (61; on the left) & Ottmar Walter (21) – 82 appearances

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Karl-Heinz (95) & Michael Rummenigge (2) – 97 appearances

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Karlheinz (81) & Bernd Förster (33) – 114 missions

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Also not included due to lack of photos:
Adolf (13) & August Werner (2) – 15 missions
Otto (2) & Hans Tibulski (1) – 3 appearances
Heinrich (3) & Hans Riso (1) – 3 appearances

“I didn’t expect this result at all. I wanted to show courage. Thank you very much for your trust,” said the visibly touched Sinning. In her application speech, she campaigned aggressively for her election and received a lot of applause for it.

Ex-national player Sasic in the future in the DFB presidium

The former international Celia Sasic has been elected to the Executive Committee of the German Football Association as Vice President for Equality and Diversity. The 33-year-old was unanimously trusted on Friday at the DFB Bundestag in Bonn. In future, Ronny Zimmermann will act as 1st Vice-President of the association alongside DFL Supervisory Board Chairman Hans-Joachim Watzke. The delegates appointed Stephan Grunwald, who succeeds Stephan Osnabrügge, as the new treasurer. DFL Managing Director Donata Hopfen, Oliver Leki, Steffen Schneekloth, Ralf-Uwe Schaffert, Hermann Winkler, Klaus Bergmann, Peter Frymuth and Sabine Mammitzsch will also sit on the DFB Executive Committee for the next three years.

From 2025, the DFB Bundestag will take place every two years. The term of office for all management staff in the association is then four years. The extension of the terms of office is intended to promote continuity in committee work.

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