Turmoil at the Helm of the German football Association (DFB)!
In a surprising turn of events, EM 2024 organizer Philipp Lahm (38) and DFB director Oliver Bierhoff (53) were abruptly removed from the 15-member executive committee during the DFB Bundestag last Friday.
Issue at Hand: With the exception of former national player Célia Sasic (33), who oversees diversity initiatives, the leadership body lacks any former professional players.
The quiet removal of Lahm and Bierhoff stems from a strategic move by ex-DFB deputy Rainer Koch (63). Before his own departure, Koch had reshaped the presidency’s direction by altering the association’s statutes.
critics of the decision, including Bierhoff, Lahm, and “Joti” Chatzialexiou (sporting director of national teams), will no longer have a say in executive committee decisions. Their roles as co-opted members with “advisory votes” have been effectively nullified.
Moving forward, Bierhoff and Lahm will only be able to participate in DFB matters if explicitly invited by the new DFB President, Bernd neuendorf. Though, according to BILD sources, neither seems particularly eager to engage under these new conditions…
