Former Bundesliga coach Alexander Nouri is embarking on a new career in fast food. Starting early 2026, he will manage two McDonald's branches in North Rhine-Westphalia. He emphasizes his eagerness to learn and draws parallels to football.
Alexander Nouri, known as coach for Werder Bremen and Hertha BSC, is switching to the restaurant business. As he told the "Süddeutsche Zeitung," he will take over two McDonald's branches in North Rhine-Westphalia as a franchisee starting early 2026. "I'm not going in there saying: I know how it works," Nouri said. "I'm here to learn."
During his training, he grilled burgers himself and immersed himself in operations. Nouri sees similarities between his new role and football: "In the end, it's about taking people along in both worlds. In football, it's players; here, it's employees. But the basic principle is the same: You have to understand who is sitting in front of you, what drives them, what they need to perform."
His football career started in 2016 at Werder Bremen, where he was promoted from U23 coach to interim and head coach, but left in October 2017 after a poor run. A short stint in Ingolstadt followed. In late 2019, he became co-coach under Jürgen Klinsmann at Hertha BSC and took over the team after his departure for four Bundesliga games. His last engagement ended in 2022 in Greece after a few months.
This switch marks a fresh start for the 44-year-old, who is transferring his leadership principles from sports to everyday business.
