Rudi Völler: DFB extends with the sports director until 2028

Rudi Völler pushes the football retirement out again. The 64-year-old DFB sports director will form a close management team with national coach Julian Nagelsmann at the currently successful German national team in addition to the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

Less than three months after Nagelsmann’s signature until 2028, the German Football Association (DFB) also announced the whereabouts of the former team leader Völler in Great Britain and Ireland in three years. The agreement with the 1990 world champion was expected after Völler had recently signaled that he would also like to continue.

“The national team and their entire team at the DFB are dear to my heart”said Völler in the communication of the association. “Of course, the enthusiastic European European Championship, but above all the cooperation with Julian Nagelsmann also have a crucial part.”

Völler would like to achieve a lot, preferably title gains: “We are not yet where we want to go. We have the highest demands and goals and believe that we can also achieve them with this inspiring team.”

For DFB President Bernd Neuendorf, Völler is “A very important building block that the national team found back to the road to success after three disappointing tournaments”. He was for Nagelsmann and the national team “of central importance”.

The next sporting goal of the Duos Völler/Nagelsmann is the first title win with the DFB team in early June at the Nations League final Four, which takes place in Munich and Stuttgart. The German eleven meets Portugal in the semi -finals. European champions Spain and the World Cup second France contest the other semi-finals at the top-class finals.

“Rudi is an enormously important caregiver for all of us”said Nagelsmann. “As a guide, he is always there with his experience when we need him – like a father figure for the entire team. We still have a lot together.”

Völler was originally supposed to practice the office of sports director until the home European Championships last year. A year ago, he initially extended until the 2026 World Cup. It was a signal to Nagelsmann, who then also extended the association in a timely manner. This time it was exactly the other way around.

After the preliminary round at the 2022 World Championship in Qatar and the separation from the long-time DFB director and team manager Oliver Bierhoff, Völler was installed by the association as a new strong man at the national team on the recommendation of a Taskforce used. After the separation of national coach Hansi Flick, Völler managed to guide Nagelsmann as a desired coach to the association. Both successfully harmonize with each other.

From 2000 to 2004, the 90-time international Völler was the team leader of the national team, which he led to the final at the tournament in Japan and South Korea in 2002, which was lost 0-2 against Brazil. After the early end of the European Championship in 2004, he resigned. The former world-class striker celebrated his greatest success as a player at the 1990 World Cup triumph in Italy.