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Peter Peters at the DFB Bundestag in May 2020
Photo:
Thomas Böcker / dpa
There is surprisingly new movement in the poker for leadership positions in German football.
Peter Peters resigns prematurely as chairman of the supervisory board of the German Football League (DFL) and, under certain conditions, wants to apply for the post of DFB president.
"I am running for DFB President if I get the support of the league and I am proposed by a regional association of the amateurs," said Peters of the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" (Monday).
Together with Rainer Koch, he is currently head of the German Football Association on an interim basis after Fritz Keller resigned in May.
Last Friday, the 59-year-old announced his decision in a meeting with representatives of the DFL who sit on a DFB committee.
The "Bild" reported on it first.
Peters announced that he would resign from his offices at the DFL this year.
The favorite for his successor is Hans-Joachim Watzke, Managing Director of Borussia Dortmund.
"For me, the main thing now is to get an orderly transition at the DFL," said Peters.
"In these difficult times, I consider Aki Watzke to be the absolutely suitable candidate as chairman of the DFL supervisory board due to his experience and assertiveness."
Watzke should be elected as early as December
Watzke recently said that he would think about it if there was a vacancy.
"That I strive for it is a tad too much," he said at the end of September in the "one-two" at Sport1.
Because of the consequences of the Corona crisis, Watzke had postponed his exit from Dortmund, which was actually planned for 2022, and extended his contract until December 31, 2025.
The 62-year-old should now be elected at the meeting of the 36 professional clubs on December 14th.
Both the DFB and the DFL are in the midst of major upheavals at the top.
At the DFL, Donata Hopfen will take over from the long-standing managing director Christian Seifert on January 1st.
The DFB is looking for a new president again.
The election will take place at the Bundestag on March 11, 2022 in Frankfurt / Main.
Apart from Peters, no one has yet announced their ambitions.
He had his own chances of succeeding Keller after the decision of the country chiefs in the DFB on the weekend before last that the candidate should come from the amateur field, still critically assessed.
"I've shown interest," said the former CFO of FC Schalke 04 at the time.
“But I said just as clearly that I would only do this if I had the trust of the amateur representatives.
And I think the amateur representatives will go the old way and elect a representative from their circle again.
You have to respect that. "
Professionals and amateurs recently argued on personnel issues
Now Peters formulated his conditions for an application that could become a possible candidate for a fight.
“I have declared that I am ready to run.
And after numerous discussions, I can feel the corresponding trust, also in the ranks of the regional associations, "he told the" kicker ".
First of all, the presidents of the five regional associations at the DFB should seek a discussion with the DFL's professional camp.
However, without the current DFB Vice President Koch, who no longer wants to run for office, and Ronny Zimmermann.
In the past, many a controversy over personnel issues had ignited between professionals and amateurs.
Bernd Neuendorf from the Middle Rhine Association was last named as a candidate for the amateur camp at the world's largest sports association.
ara / dpa
