Since 2013, such figureheads of the game have been honored with the German Football Ambassador award. Kick off! is proud to present the nominees for 2014!
We catch up with Monika Staab in Qatar, where she has been coaching the women's national side since early 2013.
The pioneer of the women's game won 10 national and international titles with her club FFC Frankfurt and with Germany and has gone on to work in 62 countries around the world. Coaching a women's team in an Arab nation to the top level is a challenge like few other.
We go to Namibia to meet Klaus Stärk, technical director of the country's Football Federation. He trains coaches and also does his bit to help people off the pitch. His previous jobs took him to Lebanon, Mongolia, Kazakhstan and Afghanistan.
And then it's off to the Caribbean to see Winfried Schäfer. He got Karlsruhe promoted to the Bundesliga and went on to win the Africa Cup of Nations with Cameroon. Now he's coaching Jamaica's national side.
On May 5th 2014, the German Football Ambassador awards will be presented for the first time at the German Foreign Ministry. The ceremony also includes a "People's Choice" honor for players who are active abroad.