Germany sporting director Bierhoff resigns position
Takes 'responsibility' for his country's World Cup exit
Oliver Bierhoff has resigned as head of the DFB, leaving the German football federation after their first round exit from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Despite winning their last group game against Costa Rica, Germany crashed out at the group stages for the men’s World Cup in succession, losing to Japan, and finishing behind Spain on goal difference.
It was confirmed on Monday that Bierhoff had left his role at the DFB, which included his roles with the national team and the German academy. He was set to be there until 2024, but had to leave early due to Germany’s very poor performance in Qatar.
In his role with building the future stars of German football, Bierhoff was in charge of the construction of a €150m (£129m) coaching centre in Frankfurt.
Himself a former national team striker, Bierhoff had been working for the German Football Association since 2004, and superintended their World Cup win in 2014, and victory in the Confederations Cup in 2017.
In a personal statement, Bierhoff, 54, said: ‘I’ve told German FA president Bernd Neuendorf of my decision today. I’m clearing the path for setting a new course.’
He went on to add: ‘My work was founded upon the conviction of doing my best for the German FA and the national teams. But that only makes the results of the men’s national team at the World Cups in Russia and Qatar more painful. That’s why I’m not leaving without the necessary self-criticism.
‘We didn’t manage to repeat previous successes and to give supporters reason to cheer in the last four years. Some decisions we had been convinced of turned out wrong. No one regrets that more than me. I take responsibility for that.’
