Oliver Bierhoff no longer understands soccer fans
Former DFB manager Oliver Bierhoff returns to Frankfurt as a consultant for the New England Patriots. At second glance, his new job in football is less surprising than it first appears. He no longer really understands the world of soccer fans. What they dislike there, they love in the NFL, he says.
The thought of kicking a ball through the Frankfurt soccer stadium still appeals to Oliver Bierhoff - even if it's not round, but egg-shaped. "Unfortunately, I don't get called to kick," said the long-serving Managing Director of the German Football Association (DFB) with a grin. However, Bierhoff will "of course be there" at the NFL game between the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday (3.30 pm/RTL) as an advisor to the Patriots.
Since mid-October, the 55-year-old has been assisting the six-time Super Bowl champions as a "business advisor" in developing the German-speaking market - "not a full-time, operational job", as Bierhoff emphasized. The switch to football came as a surprise to many. Bierhoff's connection to the NFL is of course nowhere near as deep as that to soccer, but it is not new. "I've been a football fan for over 15 years," Bierhoff explained: "I've always been fascinated by American sport and the approach."
Bierhoff already sought contact with US sport during his time at the DFB, visiting Duke University athletes and making contact with MLS club New England Revolution. When the German national team traveled to the US in October, Bierhoff visited with a delegation from the Bundesliga and deepened the connections.
What soccer can learn from football
Looking back on his DFB activities, the leap behind the scenes of the well-oiled NFL marketing machine no longer seems so far-fetched at second glance. The fact that Bierhoff has always thought about business beyond the boundaries of the pitch is nothing new. Among the German public, his marketing orientation and the resulting alienation of the DFB selection from the grassroots earned him criticism.
In soccer, "you have to keep your identity, but you can also learn a lot from each other," said Bierhoff, referring to fan culture and show elements in football. In Germany, he said, "many things are often critically excluded; when Helene Fischer plays at half-time, it's a crisis. But at the same time, we really like American football and are happy about the half-time show by Rihanna or Beyoncé."
The football hype in Germany is huge and the German market is now the second most important for the NFL. Ultimately, however, soccer remains "number one, without a doubt", said Bierhoff - not only in Germany, but also for him personally. The departure for new shores is "not a turning away from soccer", he made clear: "Football will continue to be my great love."
Oliver Bierhoff, who formerly managed the DFB, finds that soccer fans' criticisms in the NFL are often opposite of their likes in soccer, such as appreciating halftime performances by artists like Rihanna or Beyoncé despite sometimes criticizing similar events in soccer. Helene Fischer, a popular German singer, has performed at halftime shows in soccer before, which often caused controversy among fans.
Source: www.ntv.de
