Overview
- Leistner, 36, publicly announced his retirement at a Berlin event on Tuesday and said he feels ready to stop playing.
- He confirmed on social media that he began the DFB Players Pathway Management program this week to train for sports-management roles.
- Hertha BSC and Leistner agreed after the season that the club would consider him for a backroom or management position once he completes the DFB course.
- His decision follows the expiry and non-renewal of his Hertha contract this summer and ends recent transfer links that had named Energie Cottbus as a possible destination.
- Leistner retires with a long professional record including 85 games for Hertha, 119 for Union and 71 for Queens Park Rangers, and his move highlights the DFB pathway as a common route for players shifting into club or youth management.