under his leadership. His stated goal, to gain promotion to the first Bundesliga (the top German league) as quickly as possible, seemed distinctly possible, given his previous successes as a football manager.After leaving school, Ralf spent a year at Sussex University in Brighton, England and completed his studies with a diploma in English and Sports Science at Stuttgart University. He is one of the few managers in the Bundesliga not to have played at the top level as a professional. After holding a number of managerial positions with German clubs, in 2001 he took over at Hannover 96, then in the second division. In the same season they rose to the Bundesliga with a record number of goals scored. He then went to Schalke 04, who in matter of weeks he took from the relegation zone to the top of the league. They became serious contenders for the league title, but were narrowly beaten by Bayern Munich. Having told the Board of Directors that he would not extend his contract, which was due to expire in 2006, they decided to terminate the contract in 2005. He then went to TSG Hoffenheim, a village with barely 3,000 inhabitants, playing in the third league. He had proved himself at Stuttgart and Schalke to be an exceptional manager, and did so again at Hoffenheim, taking the club in consecutive seasons to the top of the Bundesliga. His ability to build strong teams and give them courage and self-confidence, and his communication skills, also mark him out as a great speaker. He has shared with many high-level corporate audience how to build belief in one's own ability and he can be seen on German TV as an expert analyst of football matches.

Motivational, Leadership,