Germany's unfortunate failure to qualify for this year's World Cup group stage has sparked widespread controversy. Despite this, head coach Felix was able to stay on, while former star and technical director Bialhofer was made the scapegoat and dismissed early, ending his 18-year career with the national team.
Bialhofer, 54, helped Germany win Euro 1996 and finish runner-up at the 2002 World Cup as a player. After retiring from playing, he joined the German national team in 2004 as a manager, where he was in charge of coordination and contributed to the team's World Cup win in 2014.
Bialhofer has been the technical director of the German team since 2018, with his original contract expiring in 2024, however he has now announced his early departure: I have agreed with the head coach of the German national team to resign from all my duties. I would like to express my sincere thanks to the team for their support during this passionate time, and I am immensely proud of the brilliant achievements we have made together.
Bialhoff confessed that Germany's poor performance in this World Cup was the main reason for his departure: I am very saddened by Germany's exit from the group stage of the World Cup for the second consecutive time, and its failure to help the team reach new heights and bring joy to its fans. There is no denying that some of our decisions may have been biased, and I must reflect on myself and take responsibility. The head coach of the German national team also released a statement saying that both parties agreed to the early termination of the contract and thanked Bialhofer for his past contributions.
