According to Sport1, former World Cup champion Per Mertesacker will succeed Andreas Retticht as the sporting general manager of the German Football Association on January 1, 2027, responsible for talent development for national teams at all levels and youth academies.
The 41-year-old Mertesacker, who still works as a football commentator for German television channel ZDF, plans to give him a dignified farewell. A ZDF spokesperson, responding to an inquiry from t-online, stated, "We will certainly give Per Mertesacker a solemn farewell on ZDF."
Mertesacker bids farewell in Munich
Mertesacker will make his final appearance on German television channel ZDF during the UEFA Nations League match between the German national team and Serbia at the Allianz Arena in Munich in the early hours of October 2nd, Beijing time.
The spokesperson also stated, "What his departure means for the team of commentators preparing for Euro 2028 on German television channel ZDF is still undecided." Furthermore, it has not yet been determined which experts will participate in the commentary on October 2nd.
Mertesacker has been working as a television commentator with fellow World Cup winner Christoph Kramer since September 2020, replacing Oliver Kahn.
