Rudi Völler could replace Oliver Bierhoff at DFB until Fredi Bobic takes over in 2024

Recent reports had pinpointed Hertha Berlin’s managing director for sport, Fredi Bobic, as the DFB’s favorite candidate to replace former team manager Oliver Bierhoff. But it now has emerged that Bobic will not succeed Bierhoff after all. Instead, former Germany star player and coach Rudi Völler might fill the leadership vacuum until the UEFA European Championship in 2024, which Germany will host.

Sky Sport reports that the DFB simply cannot currently offer Bobic a financial package that would rival his current arrangement with Hertha Berlin, which he joined in 2021. Besides personal terms with Bobic, the DFB would also have to pay Hertha a transfer fee to secure Bobic’s release from his current contract.

Hence, Bobic will remain unavailable until 2024, when his contract with Hertha expires. In the interim, however, the DFB may turn to a former star player, coach, and all around personality, the legendary Rudi Völler. In a recent story by Bild (here via 90min), the DFB taskforce that is currently heading the search to replace Bierhoff has identified Völler as a possible candidate.

The news should be no surprise to Völler: he is a member of the task force himself, which further includes former FC Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, current CEO Oliver Kahn, Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke, former Bayern sporting director Matthias Sammer, RB Leipzic CEO Oliver Mintzlaff, and the current president of the DFB, Bernd Neuendorf.

Völler retired from his position as the Executive Director for Sport at Bayer Leverkusen in June 2022, where Simon Rolfes has succeeded him. He joined the DFB task force in December 2022 in the wake of Germany’s latest disappointing performance at the World Cup 2022 in Qatar.

Hypothetically, Völler would serve as Germany’s team manager until Euro 2024, after which Bobic would be available.

It is a long way from now to then, of course, but it is not difficult to see why the assembly of German soccer leaders view Völler as an ideal solution. Völler has distinguished himself not only as a player and coach, but also as a sporting director.

The DFB task force will convene again on January 19.