Holger Obermann

Holger Obermann (31 August 1936 – 30 October 2021) was a German professional footballer, football manager, journalist and ARD television reporter.

Career Obermann was born in Kassel. He first started playing for KSV Hessen Kassel. He continued his career at Concordia Hamburg and FSV Frankfurt. He played in New York City at Elizabeth S.C. the 1st German-American Soccer League.

His journalistic career began with an internship at the Hamburger Morgenpost. Later, he was an editor and foreign correspondent for the New Yorker Staats-Zeitung, head of a German radio station and staff of the American television network ABC in Miami.

Obermann was involved for many years in the sport-related development assistance in crisis areas. His work as a "sports development expert" led him on behalf of the German Football Association and the National Olympic Committees around 30 locations, including East Timor, Cameroon, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. Several times he was honored for his commitment. In 1997, he was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit and 2004, the prize for tolerance and fair play of the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community.

Obermann was a senior adviser of the Afghanistan football project sponsored by FIFA. From January until March 2003, he led the Afghanistan national football team. From March 2004, he was an honorary member of the Afghan Football Association for his contributions to youth development. After the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, he was named by FIFA as technical consultant for the reconstruction program in Sri Lanka, where he worked directly on site.

Obermann helped to found the German American Society of Hollywood Florida in 1964.

Personal life and death Obermann married to Barbara in 1961. He died from COVID-19 in Friedrichsdorf on 30 October 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. 2004 Fair Play Prize 2010 FIFA Order of Merit 2013