The German Football League (DFL) will be led by Axel Hellmann and Oliver Leki on an interim basis.
The board spokesman of Eintracht Frankfurt and the CFO of SC Freiburg will take over the tasks of the previous managing director Donata Hopfen, whose contract was terminated on Wednesday, until June 30, 2023.
“We have a few processes running that are implemented relatively quickly.
We have to be able to act immediately," said Chairman of the Supervisory Board Hans-Joachim Watzke on Thursday.
The 51-year-old Hellmann was first elected to the DFL Executive Committee in August.
The 49-year-old Leki has been on the DFL Supervisory Board since 2019.
Both have recommended themselves for the vacant management position through successful work in their clubs.
"In my opinion, both have the absolute ability to pull it off.
If you see how the clubs of the two have developed, that also speaks for the work of these two,” said Watzke.
An interim solution from within the DFL's own ranks gives the DFL the time it needs to find a new, strong leader who has a number of problems to solve.
Hops could not fill this role - also because, according to their own statements, they lacked the necessary backing from the clubs.
Large parts of the DFL committees and the 36 professional clubs were dissatisfied with their work.
This was mainly due to the fact that, according to their critics, they had not made any decisive progress on numerous construction sites such as the 50+1 rule, digitization, the entry of an investor, foreign marketing, the new basic contract with the DFB and the upcoming tender for media rights .
"I wish the responsible gentlemen the necessary courage and will to change, not only to be able to react to the growing challenges, but also to actively shape them," recommended the 46-year-old in parting.
The DFL justified the premature termination of the contract, which was originally valid until the end of 2024, with the fact that there were "differing ideas about the further strategic direction of the company".