Simon Rolfes – Sporting Managing Director

Simon Rolfes succeeded club legend Rudi Völler as Managing Director Sports at Bayer 04 on 1 July 2022. Prior to that, the Ibbenbüren native had been working as sporting director for three and a half years and, before that, as head of youth and development for five months.

Rolfes started his football career at TuS Recke. He signed for Werder Bremen at U19 level and then progressed to their first team. Following a successful season at second division Alemannia Aachen, where he played in the UEFA Cup, Rolfes moved to Bayer 04 in 2005. He made 377 appearances and scored 49 goals for the Werkself. He also went on to play for Germany, earning 26 caps and also taking part in Euro 2008.

After hanging up his boots in 2015, Rolfes ran two companies, worked as a football pundit for ZDF and also completed a two-year UEFA course as a 'Master for International Players' (MIP). The subject of his dissertation was 'Football academies in Europe'. The Bayer 04 honorary captain visited Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Athletic Bilbao, Tottenham Hotspur and PSV Eindhoven in the process. He spoke to academy directors, managers and presidents, as well as analysing youth team training sessions and the different approaches to youth development.