Almost 50 years of ambassadors of German football
Empowering children and young people through football

After Gert Engels and Ernst Middendorp, the German Football Ambassador e.V. (FuBo) have nominated Theo Bücker, former football player and current trainer, for his extraordinary social-sporting commitment in the Middle East. Today’s head coach of Lebanese first division team Nejmeh Sporting Club was honored by the German Football Ambassador Association on 29^th of March 2018 in the presence of club officials and representatives of the German Embassy and of the Goethe-Institut Lebanon.

“Theo Bücker has been socially involved in various countries in the Middle East for many years and has shaped a positive image of Germany like hardly anyone else. This prompted our jury to nominate him in the category “coach” in 2018,” explained Roland Bischof, founder of the German Football Ambassador.

Theo Bücker has increased the level of football in the Middle East through great commitment. Not only the sporting matters but also the social aspects play an important role.  As part of the nomination trip, the Al-Nejmeh football club will be visited. Bücker supports the Atletico S.C. football school with his earmarked prize money. A project, that offers young children the possibility to become a professional football player and supports them in social aspects as well.

” I’ve been working as a coach in the Arab area for many years and it still gives me the same joy as on the first day. What I like about football in these countries is the will of the players to learn something new every day and to always give the best possible.” tells Theo Bücker.

After his professional career as a footballer with the German teams Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04, among others, the football expert was drawn to the Middle East as a trainer in mid-1980. For years Bücker has been training in various clubs in Kuwait, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Nigeria and Lebanon. Besides his coaching position, Bücker is also the director of a private football academy. He is currently training Lebanese first division team Nejmeh Sporting Club in Beirut. Bücker is the only coach who led the Lebanese national team to the last qualification round of a world championship.

The German Football Ambassador is presenting the awards for the sixth time and honoring German coaches and players in three categories who contribute to Germany’s positive reputation abroad. This year’s award ceremony will take place at the beginning of May at the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin. Ernst Middendorp (Thailand) and Gert Engels (Japan) are also nominated in the category “Coach”. Middendorp is best known for his success in South Africa and has been Technical Director at True Bangkok United FC since early 2017. Engels has over 20 years of experience in Japan and, like Lukas Podolski, is currently working for the first division team, Vissel Kobe.