Former international Horst Hrubesch was appointed interim coach of the German women’s team “until further notice”, replacing Martina Voss-Tecklenburg who is unwell, the German Football Association (DFB) announced.
“Horst Hrubesch has returned to the DFB. The 72-year-old is taking over the duties of the ailing Martina Voss-Tecklenburg as coach of the women’s team on an interim basis,” the DFB said in a statement on Saturday.
It will be the former striker’s second stint as women’s interim manager. He took over in March 2018 after Steffi Jones was sacked, and stayed in the job until that November when Voss-Tecklenburg was hired.
Under Voss-Tecklenburg, Germany reached the final of Euro 2022 but in August crashed out in the group stage for the first time at a women’s World Cup.
The coach’s husband Hermann Tecklenburg told the German press “the World Cup took a lot out of her. She came back from Australia already sick, she was mentally and physically weak.”
Deputy Britta Carlson took over as interim coach in September and will assist Hrubesch alongside Thomas Noerenberg.
Hrubesch scored both goals as West Germany beat Belgium in the 1980 European championship final. He won the Bundesliga three times and the European Cup with Hamburg.
He coached Germany’s under-21s from 2000 to 2016. With Noerenberg as his assistant, he led Germany’s men’s team to a silver medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016.
In the Nations League, Europe’s only route to qualification for the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024, the Germans lost 2-0 in Denmark, before beating Iceland 4-0.
Germany, gold medallists in Rio in 2016, must win the group to stand a chance of qualifying for the Paris. They are currently second, three points behind leaders Denmark with four rounds of games to play.
Germany face Wales and Iceland in late October before hosting Denmark and visiting Wales in December.
