New appointment - New DFB director: former world champion Nia Künzer at the helm of German women's soccer
Former world champion Nia Künzer has been appointed to the new post of sports director for the German women's soccer team at the DFB. The 43-year-old from Wetzlar will take up her post on January 1. This was announced by the German Football Association on Thursday following a unanimous decision by the supervisory board and the shareholders' meeting. The women's national team will thus have its own manager, as has been demanded for some time. Rudi Völler holds the corresponding post at the German men's national team.
"Her critical eye, her ability to bring in other perspectives, her high level of social competence and her profound soccer knowledge will help us move forward in this high-priority area for the DFB," said association president Bernd Neuendorf in the press release.
Nia Künzer last worked as an ARD expert
"We have major challenges ahead of us. It is essential for development in all areas that we get back on the road to success and win titles again," said Künzer in the press release. Her responsibilities include the women's national team, which suffered a debacle in the preliminary round of the World Cup in Australia this summer, and the U20 team.
In addition, the 34-time international of 1. FFC Frankfurt will probably be one of the successors to interim national coach Horst Hrubesch, who will be in charge of the national team until next summer at the latest - if the DFB women manage to qualify for the Olympics in Paris 2024. The 72-year-old stepped in after Martina Voss-Tecklenburg, who had been ill for a long time and whose contract has since been terminated by the federation, was left hanging.
Künzer celebrated her greatest success as a player in 2003. In the World Cup final in Carson (USA), she scored the golden goal against Sweden with her head to make it 2:1. She most recently worked as an ARD expert and as head of the department for integration, social support and voluntary work at the Giessen regional council.
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Nia Künzer's extensive experience in both women's soccer and her role as an ARD expert will undoubtedly benefit her new position with the German soccer association (DFB). Rudi Völler, currently serving as the manager for the German men's national team, also works under the auspices of the DFB.
Source: www.stern.de