Nia Künzer at the meeting to mark the 20th anniversary of the 2003 World Cup victory.
Photo: dpa
In the blurb of her book “Why Women Play Better Football,” Nia Künzer gets straight to the point: “For us, women’s soccer is the mother of soccer. Less commercial. Less hype. More family. More for the heart.« This is just one of the provocative theses that the world champion puts forward. Nevertheless, the 43-year-old is considered a balanced personality who doesn’t have to bluster around to be heard. She will soon occupy a position that gives her a lot of creative freedom: from January 1st next year, Künzer will be sports director at the German Football Association (DFB), responsible for the women’s national team and the U20.
The DFB is likely to be well-suited to the personnel: the daughter of a couple of development workers, born in Botswana and based in Wetzlar, is considered a person of integrity with great credibility. And she brings perspectives as a footballer, as a television expert and as a manager.
nd.DieWoche – our weekly newsletter
With our weekly newsletter nd.DieWoche look at the most important topics of the week and read them Highlights our Saturday edition on Friday. Get your free subscription here.
The golden goal 20 years ago, when the offensive player from 1. FFC Frankfurt decided the World Cup final against Sweden after tearing her third cruciate ligament, gave her a place in the football history books. For 17 years she followed the most important events in German women’s football for ARD and, in farewell after the DFB Women’s World Cup debacle under Martina Voss-Tecklenburg, she once again put her finger deep in the wound: “Many people say that there is no There was plan B. It felt more like there was no Plan A.”
The educator and mother of two has long been working somewhere else in her main job: as head of the department for integration, social care and volunteering at the Gießen regional council, she had personnel responsibility for 40 employees. DFB President Bernd Neuendorf has high hopes for Nia Künzer: “Her critical eye, the ability to bring in other perspectives, her high social skills and her profound football knowledge will help us move forward in this area, which is a high priority for the DFB.”
#ndstays – Get active and order a promotional package
Regardless of whether it is pubs, cafés, festivals or other meeting places – we want to become more visible and reach everyone who values independent journalism with an attitude. We have put together a campaign package with stickers, flyers, posters and buttons that you can use to get active and support your newspaper.
To the promotional package
