Tim Steidten on the difference in structure of German and English clubs: “It’s a difference like night and day.”

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·8 July 2025

Tim Steidten on the difference in structure of German and English clubs: “It’s a difference like night and day.”

Speaking to Sky Germany, former Bayer Leverkusen and West Ham director Tim Steidten has commented on the difference between German and English clubs.

Steidten has held positions at both English and German clubs. Most recently, he was technical director at West Ham for a year and a half, while he made his name in the Bundesliga as director of football at Werder Bremen as well as head of scouting and sports coordinator at Bayer Leverkusen.

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On the differences between the structures in either country, Steidten said:

“It’s a difference like night and day. In Germany, clubs are clearly structured – with a managing director, a sporting director, and a coach. In England, on the other hand, many clubs are run by owners. The owner not only brings in his money, but is also very emotionally involved. As a manager, you have to be able to deal with that. That was definitely the biggest learning for me. It takes real work to satisfy these individuals in the end – and not to work in a structured way and according to clear patterns, as we are used to in Germany.”

During his time in East London, The Guardian reports that Steidten was initially part of the club’s transfer plans but was eventually frozen out before leaving his role in February of this year. On top of this, Steidten had rocky relationships with former West Ham managers Julian Lopetegui and David Moyes.

Some of Steidten’s transfers at West Ham include former Stuttgart defender Konstantinos Mavropanos and ex-Bremen and Borussia Dortmund striker Niclas Füllkrug.

GGFN | Jack Meenan