Germany’s national football managing director Oliver Bierhoff has decided to step down from his position following the nation’s elimination from the World Cup in the group stage, the German football federation confirmed on Monday.
The national governing body revealed that Bierhoff voluntarily decided to terminate his contract prematurely. The contract was set to run through the 2024 European Championship.
While Germany has gained automatic qualification to the tournament due to being the host nation, Bierhoff decided to resign amid concerns that a different approach is needed after Germany was eliminated from the group stage of the World Cup for the second consecutive time.
“Bierhoff has done a great job,” federation president Bernd Neuendorf said following Bierhoff’s resignation. “Even if the last tournaments fell short of the sporting goals, he stands for great moments. His work will always be associated with the World Cup success in Brazil.”
Although German football has undergone a tumultuous period in recent years, Bierhoff is credited with playing a pivotal role in the nation’s 2014 World Cup success. He organized for the team to be based at Campo Bahia, a resort where then-head coach Joachim Low built a winning team.
