Alexander Nouri, the former head coach of Werder Bremen and Hertha BSC, is trading the dugout for the drive-thru. The 46-year-old has announced he will leave professional football to operate two McDonald’s franchises in North Rhine-Westphalia, beginning in early 2026.
After a managerial career that saw him lead historic German clubs and work alongside some of the country’s top coaching talents, Nouri is reinventing himself in the fast-food industry. Speaking to the Süddeutsche Zeitung, he emphasised that he is approaching the new role with humility rather than authority.
“I’m not going in there saying, ‘I know how it works,'” Nouri said. “I’m here to learn.”
A new kind of team talk
The transition has already begun. Nouri, who once delivered tactical instructions to Bundesliga stars in front of 70,000 fans, recently faced a very different audience: a team of restaurant staff in jeans and uniforms.
According to reports, Nouri introduced himself to his new employees with the same principles he applied in football. Addressing the room, he outlined his background—46 years old, a father of two, with “some experience in professional football”—before pivoting to his core philosophy.
“Ultimately, both worlds are about bringing people along,” Nouri explained. “In football, it’s players; here, it’s employees. But the basic principle is the same: you have to understand who’s sitting in front of you, what motivates them, and what they need to perform.”
Hands-on training
Nouri’s commitment to the role has been practical. To qualify as a franchisee, he completed a rigorous training program that included grilling burgers and working the kitchen line himself.
It is a stark contrast to his days in the German top flight. Nouri rose to prominence at Werder Bremen, where he was promoted from U23 coach to head coach in 2016. He famously stabilised a struggling team and nearly led them to Europa League qualification before being dismissed in October 2017 following a slump in form.
He later earned his coaching credentials in the same DFB academy cohort as current national team manager Julian Nagelsmann. His career included a brief stint at FC Ingolstadt and a high-profile role as Jürgen Klinsmann’s assistant at Hertha BSC in 2019. Following Klinsmann’s abrupt departure, Nouri took charge of the capital club for four matches as interim boss.
His most recent coaching position was a short tenure with Greek side AO Kavala in 2022. Now, after three years away from the sideline, he is set to apply his leadership skills to a different high-pressure environment starting in January 2026.
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