MUNICH/Germany: Eintracht Frankfurt spokesperson Axel Hellmann and Freiburg financial manager Oliver Leki are to lead the German Football League (DFL) on an interim basis after managing director Donata Hopfen has decided to leave.
Hellmann and Leki are to stay in charge until June 30, 2023, DFL supervisory board chairman Hans-Joachim Watzke told a news conference on Thursday.
“From my point of view, both of them have the absolute ability to get the job done. When you see how their clubs have developed, that speaks for the work of these two,” Watzke said.
Hellmann was elected to the DFL executive committee in August, while Leki has been on the league’s supervisory board since 2019.
An interim solution gives the DFL the time it needs to search for a new strong leadership figure. Hopfen was unable to fill this role because, according to her own statement, she lacked the necessary backing from the clubs.
Hopfen said on Wednesday she was leaving the DFL by mutual consent after just one year because of “different ideas about the future strategic direction of the company.”
Hopfen took the job in January in a succession of Christian Seifert on a three-year contract.
Reports said that she failed to convince her critics in the areas of internationalization, digitalization, and the 50+1 rule which outlaws full takeovers of German professional clubs by investors – and lost the confidence of the supervisory board.
The DFL runs the top flight Bundesliga and the second division with their 36 clubs.
Watzke has called for solidarity in overcoming this “difficult situation” in German football and asked for the cooperation from Bayern Munich chief executive Oliver Kahn.
“It is important that we all join forces in view of the Euro 2024,” he said.
“The easiest way to get involved, especially with the DFL, is to run for office. That helps. The simplest, most direct, uncomplicated solution would be for Oliver Kahn to run for the executive committee. Personally, I would be very happy about that,” he suggested.
Kahn has previously been criticized for taking too little interest in the DFL, but, speaking to broadcasters DAZN on Wednesday, Bayern president Herbert Hainer said the former goalkeeper will be more involved with the league in the future.
“We all have to join forces and Bayern will be very actively involved, especially Oliver Kahn, in the process of further strengthening the DFL,” he said.
Whether Kahn will take on an active post remains to be seen.
