Alexander Nouri, who coached Serge Gnabry at Werder Bremen during the 2016-17 season, has left football to manage two McDonald's restaurants in Germany. Nouri led Bremen to an 11-match unbeaten run that saved them from relegation, with Gnabry scoring 11 league goals that season. However, Nouri was sacked in October 2017 after a poor start to the following campaign.
After his dismissal from Bremen, Nouri had brief stints at FC Ingolstadt, Hertha Berlin (as interim boss), and as Jurgen Klinsmann's assistant with the US national team. His last coaching role was at Greek side Kavala, where he was sacked after three wins in 15 games.
Speaking to German outlet Suddeutsche Zeitung, Nouri explained his decision to leave football: 'Ultimately, both worlds are about bringing people along. In football, it’s players; here, it’s employees. But the basic principle is the same: you have to understand who’s sitting in front of you, what motivates them, what they need to perform.' He admitted he sought stability, which he could not find in football, recalling a phrase from his coaching course: 'When you sign your contract, you’re also signing your dismissal.'
Nouri began managing the two McDonald's outlets in Herzogenrath and Kohlscheid, North Rhine-Westphalia, this month. The father-of-two earned his coaching licence in 2016 alongside Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann.
Meanwhile, Gnabry, who made 18 appearances for Arsenal before being sold to Werder Bremen, went on to join Bayern Munich. He has since won six Bundesliga titles and a Champions League, and has scored 25 goals in 57 games for Germany.
