Overview
- Per Mertesacker will become the Deutscher Fußball-Bund’s Geschäftsführer Sport on 1 January 2027 and succeed Andreas Rettig, who leaves at year-end.
- Mertesacker is making his final TV appearance for ZDF Thursday during Germany’s Nations League game against Serbia and will end his role as a network expert.
- He said the move was driven by a desire to develop German football, with a stated focus on national teams and the federation’s youth academy work.
- Colleagues and on-air partners offered emotional farewells during broadcasts, highlighting the end of the long-running Mertesacker–Christoph Kramer expert pairing.
- ZDF has not named a replacement for Mertesacker, leaving succession at the public broadcaster unresolved as he transitions to the DFB.