German Football Association - "Great honor": Sports director Chatzialexiou leaves DFB
The sporting director responsible for the national teams, Joti Chatzialexiou, is leaving the German Football Association at the end of the year.
This means that the personnel changes in the DFB 's management continue following the failures of the men's and women's national teams. "After open discussions with the management, the DFB leadership has decided to fulfill the 47-year-old Frankfurt native's wish to pursue a new career path," the governing body announced.
Neuendorf: "Central player"
DFB President Bernd Neuendorf described Chatzialexiou as a "central player who has played a key role in shaping the DFB over the last two decades". Recently, however, there had been disagreements between the DFB and him. "He leaves us with a well-made field on which future successes can be developed. The DFB will miss him both professionally and personally," said Andreas Rettig, who was appointed DFB Managing Director in September. Despite these parting words, the chemistry between the two is said to have been off.
Chatzialexiou has been with the DFB since December 2003 and was responsible for the national U-teams in various roles, winning the European Championship title with the U17, U19 and U21 teams. He has been sporting director of the national teams since 2018. Most recently, the men's national team was eliminated in the preliminary round of the World Cup in 2022 and the women's team this year. Rudi Völler nevertheless had words of praise: "I've worked with Joti over the past year in a spirit of trust," said the sporting director of the senior national team.
Decision matured "for a long time"
"It has always been a great honor for me to work for the DFB. So I'm leaving with one eye crying and one eye laughing," said Chatzialexiou, who was in talks to become sports director at Bundesliga club VfB Stuttgart some time ago. The decision to leave after exactly 20 years had been maturing for him "for some time". He wanted to fulfill his wish to contribute his knowledge and passion for innovative youth and elite development "in another position in the dynamically developing international soccer".
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Source: www.stern.de
