Fritz Keller is the new president of the German FA (DFB Deutscher Fußball-Bund). At the 43rd Annual General Meeting of the DFB in Frankfurt, the 62-year-old was unanimously elected as the president. All 257 delegates with the right to vote voted for Keller. Keller is the 13th president in DFB history, succeeding Reinhard Grindel, who stepped down on 2nd April this year. Keller was the only candidate – he was put up for election by recommendation from the selection committee at the regional and national associations conference and at the DFL’s AGM.

Fritz Keller thanked the delegates in his first speech as president: “I am delighted about the clear vote and about the trust being placed in me by the delegates. Those who voted for me, voted for change. For me it is important that we lead the DFB toward a successful future with new structures, efficiently and transparently. There will be no one-man show – we can only develop all levels of German football if we work together as a team.”

The new DFB president’s agenda includes the following: Structural development of the association, especially against the background of the strict divisions between the economic and ideological areas of the DFB, training for successful national teams, building an efficient youth academy concept, promoting girls’ and women’s football and strengthening the volunteers’ position. Aside from that, Keller’s core issues are sustainability and social responsibility to advocate for diversity, integration, inclusion and human rights.

Dr. Rainer Koch, DFB Amateur vice president said: “We’ve found the ideal president in Fritz Keller. He is down-to-earth and he personifies integrity and credibility. He is authentic and passionate when it comes to the many facets of football that define our amateur clubs. I am very confident that he will understand and represent the interests of amateur football when it comes to conflictions between amateur and professional football.”

Christian Seifert, DFB vice president and DFL committee spokesman, said following: “The DFL is fully behind Fritz Keller and his agenda. He lives for football and is an extraordinary person who stands for independence and credibility. The weeks since his nomination have already shown that he is all about getting the job done – not about himself. Hiring new staff is an important step on the way to a successful future for the DFB.”

Fritz Keller previously worked for SC Freiburg. From 1994, he was the club’s head of marketing, before he became the chairman in 2010 and later, following constitutional changes, club president in 2014. Keller is a successful winemaker, restauranteur and hotelier. World cup winner Fritz Walter was his godfather.

(DFB)