In the midst of the delicate search for a national coach and shortly after the controversial appointment of Andreas Rettig was announced, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Oliver Mintzlaff resigned from the German Football Association’s task force. The supervisory board member of FC Bayern Munich and the chairman of the supervisory board of RB Leipzig announced this in writing on Sunday via a spokeswoman.
Rummenigge criticized that the task force was not involved in important decisions made by the DFB and in some cases was not even informed. “So we found out through the media about Andreas Rettig’s appointment as Sports Director of the DFB, a very sensitive personality and a decision worth discussing.”
The “high-profile expert council” was never equipped with the appropriate decision-making powers to be able to work effectively, effectively and purposefully, explained the 67-year-old Rummenigge. On this basis, trusting cooperation is not possible.
The DFB surprisingly announced on Friday that long-time Bundesliga manager Rettig would take over the position of sports director. Formerly managing director of the German Football League (DFL), the 60-year-old was considered a critic of the association and major clubs for years and had many arguments with former Bayern grandee Uli Hoeneß (read more here).
The DFB task force was founded in December after the national soccer team was eliminated again in the preliminary round at the World Cup in Qatar and with a view to urgently needed changes before the home European Championship in 2024 – but it remained largely ineffective. The committee is not involved in the search for the successor to national coach Hansi Flick. DFB President Bernd Neuendorf, multi-functionary Hans-Joachim Watzke from Borussia Dortmund and DFB sports director Rudi Völler are currently dealing with this.
In addition to Rummenigge and Mintzlaff, other football greats such as ex-Bayern boss Oliver Kahn, Völler and Matthias Sammer were also part of the expert council led by Watzke and Neuendorf. Ex-national player Sammer had already clearly expressed his dissatisfaction with the work in the committee. “The proof of work after nine months is the installation of Rudi Völler and Hannes Wolf. In my opinion that is a bit little,” said the former DFB sports director in a recent interview with the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”: “What has been decided so far is too little . There is a lack of content and structure, and above all, there is a lack of a leader.”
As a result of the preliminary round exit at the World Cup in Qatar and the separation from director Oliver Bierhoff, ex-team boss Völler was temporarily appointed sports director of the senior men’s national team and U20 coach Wolf was promoted to sports director for young talent, training and development. The 63-year-old Völler even stepped in as an emergency helper in the national team’s coaching bench.
Mintzlaff did not comment specifically on the Rettig case. However, he will be leaving the task force “as I am critical of further collaboration. I am firmly convinced that Rudi Völler will find the right coach for the German national team in a timely manner.” Former Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann, who was released from the record champions in March and still has a contract there until the summer of 2026, is considered a hot candidate.
For Stefan Effenberg, the 36-year-old would not be a good solution for German football. “I’m not a fan of that, just because of age,” said the 55-year-old former Bayern captain on Sunday in Sport1’s “Doppelpass”. “I believe that the national players need someone who has a certain amount of experience, who has played everything himself. Who looks at the players from above.” That’s why, said Effenberg, he used the name Felix Magath (70) in the game last week. He is also a fan of thinking about the Dutchman Louis van Gaal (72).
