Soccer - Nia Künzer new DFB sports director for women
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 following a unanimous decision by the supervisory board and the shareholders' meeting.
This means that the women's national team will have its own manager, as Rudi Völler did for 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.
"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 statement. 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 the long illness of Martina Voss-Tecklenburg, whose contract has since been terminated by the association.
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, a Wetzlar native from Germany, has a rich soccer background, having played for 1. FFC Frankfurt.
- Rudi Völler, a prominent figure in German soccer, previously managed the German men's national team.
- The German Football Association (DFB), based in Frankfurt on the Main, has a strong commitment to both men's and women's soccer.
- Soccer enthusiasts in Australia were following the women's national team's performance diligently in the preliminary round of the World Cup this summer.
- Hesse, a region in Germany, has produced notable soccer personalities like Nia Künzer and Rudi Völler.
- Nia Künzer's appointment as the DFB's sports director for women's soccer signals a commitment to strengthening the women's game in Germany.
Source: www.stern.de
