Rudi Völler will continue as sporting director of the German Football Association and fulfill his contract through the 2028 European Championship, he announced Wednesday following discussions with the association's leadership and incoming head coach Jürgen Klopp.
The decision came after DFB President Bernd Neuendorf and Vice President Hans-Joachim Watzke urged Völler to stay on, and following a phone conversation with Klopp, whose own contract as national team coach has not yet been finalized. Neuendorf and Watzke plan to travel to New York later this week for concrete negotiations with Klopp, who remains under contract with Red Bull until 2029. Völler also spoke with Red Bull executive Oliver Mintzlaff, who encouraged him to continue.
Speaking to a group of German media outlets in Frankfurt, Völler said he wants several members of Germany's 2014 World Cup-winning squad — including Per Mertesacker, Mats Hummels, and Thomas Müller — to take on key roles at the DFB. In a separate development, Javier Aguirre confirmed his departure as Mexico's national team coach following a 3-2 defeat to England, with Rafael Márquez set to succeed him.