Jürgen Klinsmann, Michael Nees and Eckhard Krautzun nominated for the Award “German Football Ambassador 2015”
Berlin, 30/10/2014 – The initiative GERMAN FOOTBALL AMBASSADOR announces the three nominees in the category “German Football Ambassador 2015”. The nominees are Jürgen Klinsmann (national coach USA), Michael Nees (technical director and U-21 national team coach of Israel) and Eckhard Krautzun (FIFA representative) who were nominated due to their outstanding commitment in social and athletic activities.
The nominations are endowed and support football projects.
The initiative was founded in 2011 by Roland Bischof and is administrated by the football globetrotter Rudi Gutendorf. The project awards distinguished German football coaches and players for their athletic and social involvement in foreign countries. The evaluation of the jury was based on various criteria such as reputation and sport success, lasting impact, integration in the cultural and social structures as well as quality of youth development.
Jürgen Klinsmann has been active in the USA since 2011 and has been very commited to his role as a German football ambassador. His commitment in the United States helped football in the US to gain more prestige and shaped sustainably the structures of the association and the youth development.
Another nominee is Michael Nees who has been active worldwide for more than 15 years. From 2008 to 2012 he was commissioned by the German Olympic Sports Confederation, the Foreign Office and the German Football Association in South Africa working as a technical advisor. Michael Nees has been coaching the U-21 national team of Israel since 2013 and is also technical director of the association. The focus of his work is promoting young players and the promotion of talents. Michael Nees also emphasises the positive relationship between Germany and Israel.
Eckhard Krautzun became coach of the Kenyan Football Federation in 1970. He then was active in Canada, Japan, Malaysia and Tunisia. Krautzun celebrated his greatest success in Rwanda reaching the qualification for the World Cup in 2002. Eckhard Krautzun also enjoys a great reputation in China where he was active from 2002 to 2007.
The three nominees shaped and characterized football and social structures in their respective countries and, although dealing with difficult conditions and without major resources, gave a positive image as German football ambassadors
In the following weeks the nominees will be accompanied by the Deutsche Welle and their work will be filmed in a television report. The “German Football Ambassador 2015” will be announced at the awards ceremony at the Foreign Office in Berlin in 2015.
