Alemannia Aachen has presented a new youth director. He already knows the club from many years as a player and manager.

Reiner Plaßhenrich is back at Alemannia Aachen. As the regional league club announced on Wednesday evening, the 46-year-old will take over as youth director. He succeeds Gabriele Di Benedetto, who is now working as co-coach of the first team.

Plaßhenrich was most recently team manager at Rhenania Lohn, but is also anything but an unknown quantity at Alemannia. Born in Paderborn, he played for Alemannia between 2004 and 2010. He played over 100 games in the 1st and 2nd Bundesliga and was part of the team that took part in the Uefa Cup in the 2004/05 season. He also wore the captain’s armband for a time.

After his active career, he remained in the imperial city until 2015. Plaßhenrich worked as head coach and co-coach of the U19s, then as an assistant with the professionals – and also briefly as head of youth development.

He is now back at the Tivoli in this position. Managing director Sascha Eller is pleased about an “outstandingly suitable appointment” and emphasises: “Reiner knows the club very well and has already gained extensive experience in this area in the past. We are convinced that Reiner will continue the work that Gabriele has already done in the last few months with full vigour and thus further professionalise our youth department.”

Plaßhenrich himself says: “I am very happy to be back at Alemannia. I want to help the club that has accompanied me for so many years in my life to develop continuously. A particular focus in this regard is also the sustainable professionalisation of youth work in order to benefit even more from the young talents of this region in a future-oriented manner. “