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Three contract extensions at once: The German Football Association (DFB) has extended the contracts of its junior coaches Christian Wörns (U-19), Hanno Balitsch (U-18) and Michael Prus (U-17), which expire in the summer of 2024. Thus, ahead of the upcoming second European Championship qualifying round for the U-19s and U-17s, there is clarity about the head coach position beyond the summer.
Kai Krüger, Head of Junior National Teams, said, “The fact that we have extended Christian, Hanno and Michael for several years stands for our plan for the long-term development of our talents. Development is only possible with continuity, especially in the head coach position. We are immensely pleased with the commitment of our head coaches to the DFB and document the mutual trust in our common goals. We want to accompany youth national team players into professional football, ideally all the way to our senior national team. We will go down this path together in the long term.”
After five coaching positions in club football, Wörns has been working for the association since the summer of 2019. At the end of March, the 51-year-old will go into European Championship qualifying with the U-19s for the second time in his time with the DFB. Commenting on his contract extension, the former Borussia Dortmund centre-back, who also works with defenders across all age groups, said: “I feel very comfortable at the DFB and I’ve really enjoyed the job so far. That’s why I’m very pleased about the contract extension and the trust it has placed in me. In the summer, we are approaching the new cycle with the same enthusiasm with which we start the second round of European Championship qualifying with the 2005 vintage on 20 March. That’s what we’re focusing on for the time being.”
Balitsch has been the head coach of the FIFA U-17 World Cup winning team since September 2023. Prior to that, the ex-professional had already spent seven years as assistant coach of various youth teams. As part of the competence team led by director Hannes Wolf, he also plays an important role in children’s and youth football. Commenting on his first contract extension as head coach, Balitsch said: “I am very pleased about the trust placed in me by those responsible to continue on the planned path together over the next few years. As a team, we have the long-term goal of leading the 2006 generation to the European Championships in the summer of 2025 and will support the boys in the best possible way.”
Prus brings other perspectives, such as that of an association sports teacher, to the DFB team. The former Schalke 04 player had held this position for ten years in Schleswig-Holstein before becoming head coach of the DFB youth team in the summer of 2016. At the end of March, his U-17 national team will qualify for the European Championship, and in the summer of 2024, Prus will start his ninth season as head coach. The 56-year-old said: “It’s a great pleasure for me to continue working for the DFB. On the one hand, it is confirmation and appreciation of my work, and on the other hand, it is an incentive and motivation to continue to support the players in their development.”
