The German Football Federation’s (DFB) new academy will help transport the country’s football philosophy across the world, according to the man behind the project. German national team Manager Oliver Bierhoff, who has been the mastermind behind the new academy, said the DFB intends to give German football a global presence through its new academy. “It's evident that German football has an incredibly high status around the world,” he said. “It stands for good training practices and good infrastructure.” The €110M ($119M) academy, which has been referred to as football’s Silicon Valley, will become the new home of German football. All of the FA’s departments -- administration, national teams, youth development, coaching clinics, research and innovation -- will be under one roof when the complex opens, which is scheduled for spring ’19. Speaking at the SpoBiS conference in Dusseldorf on Monday, Bierhoff also pointed to the academy’s commercial opportunities. “We have the opportunity as a federation to look ahead, think globally and take on a lot of topics and calmly work them off,” he said. The DFB and its partners could use the academy year-round to promote their brands domestically and abroad. Anything from trivial things like worldwide football camps to advising China on its football development plans could be coordinated from the academy, Bierhoff stated. While he has no intentions of filling the vacant position of DFB president, the former German int'l also mentioned three areas within the FA that he would change if he were in charge. He said that he would modernize the work environment; change the FA’s handling of sponsorships; and establish a flat hierarchy with clear responsibilities. “In the end it comes down to the people you work with,” he said. “Volkswagen also has highly professional structures and things still happen.”
Quick Hit:
- Bierhoff, on the reports the federation has extended its kit deal with adidas beyond ‘18: “It’s a very complex contract. ... A lot of things play into it, from monetary performances over services to marketing rights and support of the academy. Tradition is also important, adidas has been a long-term partner. It won’t be an easy decision. ... If a decision has been made, it went right above my head. And that would go against the current push for transparency.”
