VfB Stuttgart will work with some prominent ex-players in the future. Philipp Lahm, Sami Khedira and Christian Gentner are returning to VfB and taking on operational and management tasks.
On Sunday, VfB Stuttgart announced the return of Philipp Lahm, Sami Khedira and Christian Gentner. The two world champions Lahm and Khedira will support the CEO Alexander Wehrle in an advisory capacity; VfB relies on their expertise and experience. After retiring from active duty at the beginning of 2023, ex-captain Christian Gentner will be appointed head of the licensed player department and thus act as a link between the team and the club management. This task is generally regarded as a stepping stone and apprenticeship for larger tasks in the operational business.
"After analyzing the season, I already informed everyone responsible that we would position ourselves more broadly in sport. That we want to enable different perspectives, especially for people who have played professional football themselves. And it's important to me that we involve former VfB players. We have found the right people in world champion captain Philipp Lahm, world champion Sami Khedira and our former captain Christian Gentner. I am very pleased that they are committed to VfB," said Alexander Wehrle, explaining the reason for the decision.
Sami Khedira: "I had very good talks with Alexander Wehrle, who won me over with his ideas and energy. Being able to advise him and VfB on sporting issues really appeals to me. In my 15 years as an active footballer, I've been able to I have experienced a lot, had insights into very well-managed clubs and have worked with a wide variety of coaches. I would like to share these experiences and insights with VfB, my heart club."Philipp Lahm: "VfB should be a club in which its fans recognize themselves who is rooted in Swabia, who gives his members a home, who trains talented people from the region and who wins far more often than loses. Alexander Wehrle is now going a new way, one that suits VfB. He is putting together a team that has different skills. Everyone knows their job, now it has to work together successfully. Back then, VfB gave me the opportunity to gain a foothold at the highest level in. That was important in order to celebrate successes elsewhere. I would now like to share this experience with VfB. Taking on responsibility in a club is new to me. I'm really looking forward to it."Christian Gentner: "It's something very special that I can start my career after my career at VfB Stuttgart. I would like to expand what I learned in the management course with practical experience at VfB, bring in new things, learn new things and successfully use my perspective as an active player for the team. I'm really looking forward to working with everyone involved at VfB and to returning to my home club."
This article was originally published on 90min.com/de as Operational and management tasks: Lahm, Khedira and Gentner return to VfB Stuttgart.
