The overhanding of the nomination certificate took place in Khartoum. Also El Merrikhs president, Gamal Al-Wali and representatives of the German Embassy were onsite.

Michael Krueger experienced a lot during his coaching career and is being recognized as one of the most successful German coaches to work on the African continent. Due to his great international career and his contribution to the positive image of Germany abroad, the jury of the initiative “German Football Ambassador” nominates Mr. Krueger for the main award in the category “Coach 2017”.

Krueger coached football teams in Egypt, Turkey, Ethiopia and Sudan. Especially in Egypt and Sudan Krueger enjoyed major successes by winning numerous national champion chips and league cups. Former Alemannia Aachen and Eintracht Braunschweig coach thinks that it´s important to promote sustainable values in sports: „It´s astonishing to see, how football connects people all over the world and influences lives of so many.“ Krüger told at the overhanding ceremony.

Above all, Krueger has a special connection to Sudan. Most recently, he coached the first team of El Merrikh Khartoum in 2014 and won the national championship as well as the league cup. Because of that, Michael Krueger, Roland Bischof (founder German Football Ambassador) and the Deutsche Welle decided to visit his old companions and see how Sudanese football has been developing recently. The traditional handing over of the nomination certificate took place in Khartoum in presence of the president of El Merrikh FC, Gamal Al-Wali, the German Embassy in Sudan and the Goethe Institute. „I am very grateful for the nomination. My time abroad was full of positive experiences and I will always keep these memories with me.“ Mr. Krueger will use his prize money to support the youth academy of El Merrikh FC in Khartoum.

Three German coaches have been nominated for the award due to their extraordinary achievements in intercultural exchange and their contribution to a positive standing of Germany in the world. Besides Michael Krueger, Horst Kriete and Bernd Storck have also been nominated for the award. Mr. Kriete has worked for over 30 years on behalf of DFB, DOSB and the Foreign Ministry as an instructor and development worker. Bernd Storck has worked as a football coach in Serbia, Kazakhstan and Greece. Currently, he is coaching the Hungarian national team and enjoyed a successful EURO 2016 in France. The winner in the category “Coach 2017” will be announced on the 16^th of May 2017 in the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin. Find out more about the “German Football Ambassador“ and the three nominees by visting the following link: www.fussballbotschafter.de/en/