During the extraordinary „Bundestag“ on Friday in Frankfurt /Main the term of Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder as president of the German Football Federation (DFB) came to its rotational end.
At the same time a 38 year long carreer as football official comes to a close. His carreer started in 1968 as a executive committee member of the Württemberg football associaton. Since 2001 „MV“ has been the first man of the DFB, in the summer of 2000 he already took over the leadership after Egidius Braun had fallen sick. At the „Bundestag“ 2001 in Magdeburg Mayer-Vorfelder was elected as ninth DFB president, since October 23, 2004 he jointly ruled with executive president Dr. Theo Zwanziger.
In comparison to his predecessors five years as President of the DFB are a quite short term, with Hermann Neuberger being in charge for 17 and Egidius Braun nine years after all. But even though Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder has reached the end of his hierarchy as the „number one“ in German football, he can look back on successful and eventful times. The innumerous innovations having been introduced in his era, had started before he had even been elected. On the extraordinary Bundestag on September 30, 2000 in Mainz the fundamental contract had passed. It included the association of the 36 professional clubs into the German Football League (DFL) founded as an independent group inside the DFB.
In Magdeburg “MV” finally was elected ninth president of the DFB on April 28, 2001 with only one dissenting vote. One of the main points of focus of his work from the start was the support of the youth. Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder knew, that football wouldn’t stop after the World Cup 2006 and that during the times of anticipation important decisions for short- and medium-term developments had to be taken. In the meantime 17.000 children and teens at the age of eleven and 17 years train on a weekly basis all over Germany at altogether 390 bases, to be trained both technically and tactically in addition to their everyday training in the clubs. 1200 coaches overall are responsible for this project, which is financed by the DFB with eight million Euro per year.
„MV“ was always a permanent companion of the National teams, especially the Men’s National team. As Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the World Cup Executive Committee 2006 he had his part in both the organisational and financial success of this unforgettable event in Germany. Particularly as it was Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder, who presented the German bid for the World Cup 2006 to then FIFA President Joao Havelange on June 2, 1993. When the actual FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter pronounced the meanwhile historic sentence “And the winner is Deutschland” on July 6, 2000 den in front of an international host of guests at the Zurich fair, the DFB had reached its prime goal.
The extraordinary „Bundestag“ on September 8 marked the end of the DFB Presidency for Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder. The former Württemberg minister of finance and education will stay close to football nevertheless. On the question, what will stay of his DFB presidency „MV“ gave a striking answer: "Traces in the sand, but no signs for eternity." For that, time was too short and the past five years too eventful.
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During the extraordinary „Bundestag“ on Friday in Frankfurt /Main the term of Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder as president of the German Football Federation (DFB) came to its rotational end.
At the same time a 38 year long carreer as football official comes to a close. His carreer started in 1968 as a executive committee member of the Württemberg football associaton. Since 2001 „MV“ has been the first man of the DFB, in the summer of 2000 he already took over the leadership after Egidius Braun had fallen sick. At the „Bundestag“ 2001 in Magdeburg Mayer-Vorfelder was elected as ninth DFB president, since October 23, 2004 he jointly ruled with executive president Dr. Theo Zwanziger.
In comparison to his predecessors five years as President of the DFB are a quite short term, with Hermann Neuberger being in charge for 17 and Egidius Braun nine years after all. But even though Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder has reached the end of his hierarchy as the „number one“ in German football, he can look back on successful and eventful times. The innumerous innovations having been introduced in his era, had started before he had even been elected. On the extraordinary Bundestag on September 30, 2000 in Mainz the fundamental contract had passed. It included the association of the 36 professional clubs into the German Football League (DFL) founded as an independent group inside the DFB.
In Magdeburg “MV” finally was elected ninth president of the DFB on April 28, 2001 with only one dissenting vote. One of the main points of focus of his work from the start was the support of the youth. Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder knew, that football wouldn’t stop after the World Cup 2006 and that during the times of anticipation important decisions for short- and medium-term developments had to be taken. In the meantime 17.000 children and teens at the age of eleven and 17 years train on a weekly basis all over Germany at altogether 390 bases, to be trained both technically and tactically in addition to their everyday training in the clubs. 1200 coaches overall are responsible for this project, which is financed by the DFB with eight million Euro per year.
„MV“ was always a permanent companion of the National teams, especially the Men’s National team. As Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the World Cup Executive Committee 2006 he had his part in both the organisational and financial success of this unforgettable event in Germany. Particularly as it was Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder, who presented the German bid for the World Cup 2006 to then FIFA President Joao Havelange on June 2, 1993. When the actual FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter pronounced the meanwhile historic sentence “And the winner is Deutschland” on July 6, 2000 den in front of an international host of guests at the Zurich fair, the DFB had reached its prime goal.
The extraordinary „Bundestag“ on September 8 marked the end of the DFB Presidency for Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder. The former Württemberg minister of finance and education will stay close to football nevertheless. On the question, what will stay of his DFB presidency „MV“ gave a striking answer: "Traces in the sand, but no signs for eternity." For that, time was too short and the past five years too eventful.
