Per Mertesacker confirms negotiations with DFB for managing director role

Published Jul 19, 05:49 PM UTC

Former German World Cup winner Per Mertesacker (41) has confirmed he is in negotiations with the German Football Association (DFB) regarding the position of managing director, succeeding Andreas Rettig, who will leave at the end of the year. Speaking on ZDF just before the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, Mertesacker stated that contact with the DFB has never been broken and that momentum has increased in the last week. He emphasized that priority remains with Jürgen Klopp for the national coach role, but he is available for the association. Mertesacker, who previously headed Arsenal's youth academy, was also considered in 2022 as a possible successor to Oliver Bierhoff. The DFB is undergoing a shake-up following the World Cup round-of-32 exit and the resignation of national coach Julian Nagelsmann.

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