Oliver Bierhoff last appeared somewhat surprisingly in front of the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough when the German footballers stopped off at the New England Patriots at the start of their trip to the USA. And now it is clear why: a good ten months after stepping down as managing director of the German Football Association (DFB), the 55-year-old is returning to the sport and becoming a consultant for the franchise from the US professional football league NFL.
It’s a comeback with an announcement. A few days ago, Bierhoff had already stated in an interview with RTL/ntv that he wanted to take on a new job soon. “Maybe it will be earlier than January 1st,” he said at the time. And that’s exactly how it is.
In order to return to work as a “growth strategist”, Bierhoff is changing sports, but is not breaking new ground. After all, the former national striker has had his eye on the NFL for a long time. Football is “a great sport and the best entertainment,” said Bierhoff. He has been a fan for years and “loves the passion, the athleticism and the excitement of this game.”
The prominent newcomer, who left the DFB after the debacle at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar at the beginning of December, is expected to support the Massachusetts franchise in its expansion activities in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. And Bierhoff sees “great potential to make American football and the New England Patriots even more popular” in the German-speaking market.
For two years, Germany has been a so-called “home market” for the Patriots, who will play against the Indianapolis Colts in Frankfurt/Main on November 12th and have won the Super Bowl six times with the now retired quarterback superstar Tom Brady. As a “business advisor,” Bierhoff will bring in his experience “in building professional structures and industry knowledge,” especially in the areas of marketing, brand management and business development.
Bierhoff was in the USA as part of a delegation of sports directors and managers from the Bundesliga. He had indicated that he wanted to be able to approach “certain projects” in the future “a little more freely and flexibly” after all these years. Unlike the DFB, for which he worked in responsible positions for a total of 18 years.
“Although the New England Patriots have been involved in Germany and other European countries since 2017, this is often still new territory for us,” the statement said: “In Oliver we have now found the perfect partner.”
#job #NFL #Bierhoff #advisor #England #Patriots