Germany, Bierhoff official resignation –

. Pierfrancesco Archetti

December 5th
– MILANO

Oliver Bierhoff leaves the German national team and all federal positions. This is the consequence of Germany’s exit to the World Cup, the second consecutive in the group stage. “After 18 years, I have communicated to president Bernd Neuendorf my resignation as director of the national team and of the federal academy,” the former AC Milan player wrote in a statement. “I leave the road free for new choices”. Bierhoff had a contract with the DFB valid until 2024: the termination took place by mutual agreement.

TITLE AND FALLS

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The former striker of Milan, Udinese, Ascoli and Chievo had joined the national team staff with the role of manager, the glue between the federation and the pitch, in July 2004, together with Jurgen Klinsmann, appointed coach after Germany’s exit to the first round of the Euro in Portugal which led to the resignation of Rudi Voeller as coach. After Klinsmann’s farewell following third place in the 2006 World Cup, Bierhoff continued and built with Joachim Löw the best moment in the recent history of the German national team, which culminated with the 2014 world title in Brazil. Exiting in the semifinals of Euro 2016 seemed like a hiccup and in any case the defeat against France, after eliminating the Azzurri in the quarterfinals, was a disappointment but not a sporting catastrophe. Instead, the 2018 World Cup (out of the group stage), last year’s European Championship (elimination in the round of 16) and the tournament in Qatar only gave Germany a bad impression: Bierhoff was subjected to harsh criticism from the media and from the circle of former players who became commentators . His role as director of the national teams has put him among the culprits of the downsizing of the four-time world champions. Thus was born the decision to leave. Now Hansi Flick is also losing his first ally. The Bundestrainer said he doesn’t want to leave the national team, it needs to be checked if he will agree with who will replace Bierhoff. The first name is that of Matthias Sammer, who already collaborates with Borussia Dortmund and with the CEO. yellow and black Hans-Joachim Watzke, who also recently became federal vice president.

THANKS AND LEGACY

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“Oliver Bierhoff has great merits in the successes of the national team: even if the last two tournaments have not lived up to the goals, he remains a person of great moments and will always be linked to the title in Brazil. I thank him for what he did for the German football”, wrote federal president Neuendorf. Bierhoff’s great project, the construction and start-up of the federal academy, a German Coverciano, was completed with the inauguration of the campus in Frankfurt last July. Bierhoff ne was the director, apparently he was asked to keep only this position, but he preferred to step aside in everything.