Per Mertesacker Named as ‘Hot Candidate’ for German FA Managing Director Role
Per Mertesacker – the ex Arsenal captain and World Cup winner – is being talked about as a front runner for a top job at the German Football Association (DFB) after he announced his decision to leave his post as Arsenal’s academy manager at the end of the 2025/26 season.
The 41 year old German international said goodbye to his eight year stint in charge at the club’s youth setup and before you know it he was the talk of the football scene back home.
Mertesacker’s Bittersweet Farewell to Arsenal
Mertesackers decision – to leave the club he joined as a player in 2011 and transition into the academy role three years after hanging up his boots in 2018 – was a tough one but he said he needed to do it for his own personal development.
“Arsenal will always be a very special club to me, and that made this decision a bit of a wrench,” he revealed to the club’s website. “I was really grateful to the club for putting their faith in me back when I made the leap from being a player to Head of Academy. But now it’s time for me to look to the future and see what new challenges I can take on – and push myself even further.”
He still made it clear that while he’s off to pastures new, his focus is still on seeing the current season out and helping out however he can : “I’m still all about finishing the season strongly, plus of course continuing to nurture and develop the talent coming through the academy, and make sure the club doesn’t miss a beat after I’ve gone – right till the very last day i am here.”
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Arsenals Chief Executive Richard Garlick expressed sadness at Mertesackers decision to leave but praised his impact: “We are sad to see Per go but we wish him all the best in his next adventure. He truly understands what Arsenal’s all about and that’s been one of the things that’s kept him going through his time in charge – he’s always inspired the coaches, the staff and the young players – the whole Arsenal way.”
Under Mertesackers leadership the academy has produced some absolute stars like Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Max Dowman, and Marli Salmon, his approach has always been about getting the right balance between on-pitch development and helping his young players grow as people.
DFB Interest: Per Mertesacker is Hot Favourite for the Top Job
According to Bild in Germany, Mertesacker has quickly become a ‘hot contender’ for the Managing Director of Sport position at the DFB.
This role – which currently belongs to Andreas Rettig (whose contract runs out on Dec 31 2026) – is in charge of the German national teams and the youth academies – and you cant get much more relevant to Mertesackers background than that – given his years at the helm of the Arsenal academy.
Talk in the German press is that while Mertesacker had initially talked about taking a year off from football, the DFB may just tempt him to come out of retirement early. Rudi Voeller – the current sporting director (whose contract was just extended to 2028) – has been singing his praises for ages, saying he thinks Mertesacker would be the perfect man for the job.
Mertesacker had been linked to the DFB before, back in 2022 when he was in the running for the same job alongside Sami Khedira , but at the end of the day nothing came off and they ended up re-structuring the whole thing.
Future Plans and Family Focus
For the time being, the one who was once Werder Bremen and Germany’s centre-back – “The BFG” to say the least, since Arsenal fans have always been fond of calling him that – is planning on sticking around in London with his wife Ulrike and their 5 kids.
Given his wealth of experience in youth development, he’s basically the perfect fit to shake things up in German football’s youth system – especially now that the Euro 2024 is done and dusted, and with more big tournaments just around the corner.
As one of the heroes from the 2014 World Cup team, his potential move back to Germany could be the start of a really exciting new chapter for both him and the DFB. Fans are going to be keeping a close eye to see if Germany can finally snag their top target back on home soil.
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Per Mertesacker Named as ‘Hot Candidate’ for German FA Managing Director Role