A power struggle simmers in the background

With Hansi Flick the office of national coach has been filled. But in the fight for the presidency it has become quiet. A decision should be made in March 2022. It is questionable whether it will be a renewal.

From a purely sporting point of view, things couldn’t go better for the national team. The new national coach Hansi Flick won four wins from four games at the start of his term of office. While it looks harmonious and successful on the pitch, a power struggle is simmering in the background.

Because after the resignation of the incumbent Fritz Keller is the association looking for a new strong man as president – or a woman? At the extraordinary Bundestag in March 2022, clarity is to be created about the new top. The association has to decide: between the image of a dusty institution of the white old men – and an association of new beginnings.

Koch: DFB “no restructuring case”

“Today it is no longer possible for someone from outside the industry who is elected to decide things like at the regulars’ table DFB is that still the case, “Keller criticized the association sharply in mid-September in an interview with the pay-TV broadcaster Sky.

Interim President Rainer Koch defended himself against these allegations. He spoke of “campaigns” against him and stressed that he “never tires of fighting for our interests”. The DFB is “not a restructuring case”. Peter Peters, also interim president, spoke several times about wanting to “learn from the mistakes of the past”.

The interim presidents Rainer Koch and Peter Peters: Where is the DFB’s path going? (Source: Moritz Müller / imago images)

After nine years with four resigned presidents, the “business as usual” should be over. Because the public image of the DFB is bad.

Unexplained million payments in the context of the 2006 home World Cup, non-transparent additional income, mysterious services of a communication consultant and verbal lapses: the appearance of the top management is as devastating as it is dusty.

What should it look like, the rebuilding at the top?

A fresh start is necessary. Everyone agrees on that. But hardly anyone wants to take his hat off from the controversial leadership.

So far, neither Peters nor Koch have made any attempt to vacate their seats. Some even suspect that they both want to run for president. But so far these are just loose rumors. It looks more specific, however, with Bernd Neuendorf (60), currently President of the Middle Rhine Association. In the course of the week, however, DFB team manager Oliver Bierhoff stressed that he “did not know” Neuendorf and therefore did not want to comment.

Bernd Neuendorf: The 60-year-old is currently President of the Middle Rhine Association. (Source: Sven Simon / imago images)

In mid-May, the anti-corruption expert Sylvia Schenk had gotten into the conversation, but Peters was blabbering: “You don’t apply to the DFB, you are suggested.”

Sylvia Schenk: The anti-corruption expert (here at the DFL’s New Year’s reception in January 2020) with DFB interim president Rainer Koch. (Source: Hartenfelser / imago images)

More than just personnel issues

The “Football can do more” initiative, launched in May by nine women from the football business, takes a more structural approach to the question of the “new DFB”. Katja Kraus, former national player and functionary, brings a double top into the conversation. “In view of the complexity of the task, I consider this to be a necessary solution. It takes a strong team if you want to develop the social impact of football and at the same time create a future vision for the association,” Kraus told t-online. “It is also absolutely contemporary and offers the chance to embody diversity through leadership. However, the prerequisite for everything is a comprehensive structural reform and a cultural change. I definitely want people who convey enthusiasm for play and enable people to identify with integrity and content again. “

It is one of many ideas that Kraus and the initiative recently brought in. Your position paper from May with eight demands received a lot of attention. “Football can do more” aims to soon “have more women in all areas of football who work in top positions and paint a fair and contemporary image of football”.

Katja Kraus: The 50-year-old is part of the “Football can do more” initiative. (Source: Martin Hoffmann / imago images)

The feedback on the demands came from all sides. The nine women spoke to people from football, politics, business, associations and football fans. The result: “We got a lot of attention – resistance, too, but above all a lot of support.”

The discussions also have consequences for the demands of the initiative: “In the next few weeks we will publish an updated position paper that represents our experiences over the past few weeks and the findings from the discussions with the various parties involved.”

“We want to change that”

For Kraus and the initiative, the structural change in football Germany is in the foreground – and no personnel debates. “The public is not an end in itself, even if it increases the pressure to act,” Kraus told t-online. “We want to bring about concrete measures and take responsibility. That is why we are concerned with institutionalizing our ‘Football can do more’ initiative.” Kraus gives three reasons for this decision:

“Our concern is bigger than the question of who will be president of the DFB, we are concerned with concrete changes in terms of the future viability of football. Second: We have received so many offers of support from all areas, we want all men and women who share the conviction that football can do more, give the opportunity to participate. And thirdly: With all due consideration, we have so far no operational leverage and no institutional voice. We want to change that. “

An offer to talk

For the change in German football, the support and willingness of the DFB is necessary. But there have not yet been any official talks between the association and the initiative. As t-online found out, there is said to have been an offer to talk to the initiative from the DFB in the person of Hannelore Ratzeburg, the only woman on the DFB Presidium. So far there has not been a meeting.

Kraus confirmed the information: “At some point we received an offer from Hannelore Ratzeburg to talk to the interim committee.” But: “Since we were in ongoing proceedings with Dr. Koch and are still doing so, we have so far rejected this round.” Koch had made a petition to the ethics committee against Bibiana Steinhaus-Webb, former Bundesliga referee and member of “Football can do more”. According to the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, Koch complained that Steinhaus-Webb accused him of ethically questionable behavior.

However, the procedure between the initiative and Koch does not change the willingness to talk about “Football can do more”, emphasizes Kraus: “Basically we are convinced to seek dialogue. We often and gladly speak to people within the DFB organization and also with the representatives of the regional associations. ”

Parts of the DFB are nevertheless aware of the importance of the topic – this is shown, for example, by the Women in Football project, which is tasked with developing a strategy for women’s and girls’ football by 2027. Further goals are to encourage and encourage female trainers and managers as well as professionalise the women’s Bundesliga.

All of this should continue to be pushed – regardless of the open presidency. But whoever takes over the post in spring 2022 is facing some important decisions. Because the DFB is in a crisis and urgently needs a new image.