Confirmed: Rolfes to succeed Völler as Leverkusen managing director for sport
Simon Rolfes will be replacing Rudi Völler as Bayer Leverkusen managing director for sport ahead of the 2022/23 season.
Bayer Leverkusen have confirmed that sporting director Simon Rolfes will be promoted to managing director for sport in the summer of 2022.
Rolfes will succeed Rudi Völler, who will continue to provide advice and support to 'Die Werkself' despite stepping back from his current role.
"I highly appreciate working with Simon Rolfes," commented Leverkusen chairman of the board Fernando Carro.
"We complement each other very well and both have the ambition to further develop this excellently positioned club and to set it up for the future together with all employees," he added.
"I would also like to express my sincere thanks to Rudi Völler. He is one of the main reasons why I was able to gain a foothold in Leverkusen and in the football business so quickly and securely. Bayer 04 has benefited greatly from his soccer expertise and experience - and will continue to do so in the future in a new constellation."
Rolfes, who was appointed sporting director in December 2018, said:
"I would like to say thanks for the trust placed in me. It is an honor for me to be able to take on even more responsibility in the future for this club, to which I owe so much. However, I expressly do not see this as a reward, but rather as a mandate and incentive to continually develop and improve all sporting areas of Bayer 04. We have a lot of plans. My thanks also go to Rudi Völler, from whom I was able to learn many things that are important for the craft of a good soccer manager."
Commenting on his new role, Völler said:
"It's a wonderful and at the same time exciting task for me to support my club more behind the scenes in achieving its ambitious goals in the future. This is also thanks to the many years of very friendly cooperation with [Member of the shareholders' committee] Werner Wenning, who has always shown great confidence in me in my previous positions at Bayer 04."
"You, everyone at Bayer 04 and, of course, the fans of 'Die Werkself', can rest assured that I will strongly represent our common interests on the Shareholders' Committee and in carrying out my new representative duties at home and abroad."