January 20 – Former German international striker Rudi Voeller will take over as general manager of the men’s national team following a disastrous World Cup campaign in Qatar.
Völler takes over from Oliver Bierhoff on February 1, the latter being the only managerial casualty so far of Germany crashing out in the group stages of the World Cup for the second time in a row.
Last month Bierhoff agreed to resign after 18 years of various roles within the German set-up. Head coach Hansi Flick is staying on ahead of the 2024 European Championship hosted by Germany.
“Rudi is a solid fixture in German soccer,” Flick said. “He thrilled fans as a player, coach and manager. Due to his experience with the national team and many years of work with Bayer Leverkusen, he is the right person for the upcoming tasks.”
Völler, whose goals helped West Germany win the World Cup in 1990, played 90 times for his country between 1982-94. He was coach from 2000-04 and helped steer Germany to the 2002 World Cup final.
“The first thing we have to do is lay the foundation, with the support of the whole of Germany, for a successful European Championship at home,” Völler said.
“We have the players for it. From these many top players we now want to form a close-knit unit again, a strong-willed and likable national team with the clear goal of winning back the unreserved support of the fans.”
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