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Axel Hellmann, spokesman for the board of Eintracht Frankfurt, will temporarily take over the management of the DFL
Photo: Arne Dedert / dpa
DFL supervisory board chairman Hans-Joachim Watzke is in favor of maintaining the dual leadership solution for the management of the German Football League beyond the summer.
"I advocate that we spread this over two shoulders," said Watzke on Thursday in Neu-Isenburg.
Until June 30, Eintracht Frankfurt's Axel Hellmann and Oliver Leki from SC Freiburg will take over the duties of the previous DFL managing director Donata Hopfen, whose contract was terminated on Wednesday, as an interim solution.
"I'm not a supporter of management," said Watzke, who is also CEO of Borussia Dortmund.
"I did that at BVB for a year or two 18 years ago, but I saw that it was no longer possible with the increasing requirement profile." With the range that "is pending today, you can no longer do a one-man show" .
Before Hopfen, Christian Seifert was the sole managing director at the DFL.
Watzke explained that Hellmann and Leki do not intervene in decisions about licensing and game operations due to their contracts with their clubs.
"We had to make special rules so that we could ensure the integrity of the competition," said Watzke.
DFL director Ansgar Schwenken has the authority when it comes to making decisions about game operations – for example, objections to the rating of games.
"There are clear guidelines," said Watzke.
»The two interim managing directors are not involved in these two processes, that was important to us, otherwise it would have been an open flank.«
Hops had to go after less than a year
Hopfen had to vacate her post on Wednesday after less than a year in office.
The 46-year-old succeeded long-time boss Christian Seifert on January 1, and her contract originally ran until the end of 2024.
Large parts of the DFL committees and the 36 professional clubs were dissatisfied with Hopfen's work.
This was mainly due to the fact that, according to her critics, she had not made any decisive progress on numerous construction sites such as the 50+1 rule, digitization, the entry of an investor, foreign marketing, the new basic contract with the DFB and the upcoming tender for media rights .
kjo/dpa
