Doha, December 06 (QNA) - The German Football Federation (DFB) announced that the DFB sporting director Oliver Bierhoff ended his contract with the organization after the German national team's exit from the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 in the first round.

Bierhoff and the German Federation reached an agreement to end the contract which was scheduled to continue until 2024.

Bierhoff, one of Germany's most famous former players, said in his resignation speech on Monday evening "that's why I'm not leaving without necessary self-criticism. Over the past four years, we haven't managed to build on earlier successes and give the fans reason to cheer again." The sporting director thanked people who had supported him, expressing his regrets for the performance of the German men's national team in Russia and Qatar, which failed to live up to earlier successes.

"Some decisions we were convinced of have not turned out to be the right ones. No one regrets that more than I do. I take responsibility for that," he said, adding that "I am clearing the way for a new direction." DFB vice president and DFL supervisory board chairman Hans-Joachim Watzke thanked Oliver Bierhoff for his years of service.

As a professional footballer, Oliver Bierhoff was one of Germany's most renowned players, scoring 37 goals in 70 international matches. He was part of the team that won the European Championship in 1996 and helped secure the trophy by scoring two goals in the final game.

In 2004, two years after his last international match, he started working at DFB as manager of the men's national team.

Despite Germany's lackluster results lately, Bierhoff was part of the success of the German team when it won the World Cup 2014 in Brazil after defeating Brazil 7-1 and Argentina.

However, Germany was eliminated in Group Stage for the second time in a row, after it also failed in the Round of 16 in the UEFA Euro last summer.

It not clear how Bierhoff's resignation could impact Hansi Flick's future as national coach.

DFB president Bernd Neuendorf, coach Hansi Flick and vice-president Hans-Joachim Watzke are scheduled to hold a meeting this week in which they analyze reasons for why the men's national team performed so poorly in the World Cup.

(QNA)