One former Bundesliga manager has swapped the dugout for the drive-thru.
Alexander Nouri, who once prowled the touchline at top-flight German clubs, has completely walked away from professional football to run two McDonald's restaurants.
The 46-year-old now oversees branches in Herzogenrath and nearby Kohlscheid, both located in North Rhine-Westphalia.
It's quite the departure for someone who earned his coaching qualifications alongside Julian Nagelsmann, the current Germany national team boss, back in 2016.
But Nouri has decided the unpredictable world of football management simply isn't for him anymore.
During his playing days, Nouri was an attacking midfielder who turned out for clubs including Werder Bremen and Holstein Kiel before hanging up his boots in 2011.
He then moved into coaching, taking charge at VfB Oldenburg among other clubs, and eventually landed a spell as Bremen's manager.
Alexander Nouri's last job in football was back in 2022
|GETTY
His final role in football came at Greek side Kavala, which he departed in 2022.
That same year he completed his coaching badges, Nagelsmann was doing exactly the same course – and look where the Germany boss has ended up compared to Nouri's new venture behind the counter.
Nouri sees more similarities between his two careers than you might expect.
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Alexander Nouri is loving life working at McDonald's
|"Ultimately, both worlds are about bringing people together. In football, it's the players; here, it's the employees," he told German publication Suddeutsche Zeitung.
The former coach believes the fundamental approach remains identical regardless of whether you're managing footballers or fast-food staff.
"The basic principle is the same: you have to understand who is in front of you, what motivates him, what he needs to perform," he added.
It's a fascinating perspective – suggesting that leadership skills honed on the training pitch translate perfectly well to running a restaurant kitchen.
Nouri's time at Bremen showcased both the highs and brutal lows of football management.
He guided the club to survival in 2017 after stepping up from interim boss to permanent manager, even pushing them towards European qualification.
Alexander Nouri kept Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga after becoming permanent manager
|GETTY
But the following campaign proved disastrous – he was dismissed just ten games into the season after failing to secure a single victory.
It's this volatility that ultimately drove him away from the beautiful game.
"When you sign your contract, you're also signing your dismissal," he explained.
For Nouri, the security of running McDonald's restaurants clearly beats the constant uncertainty of life in the dugout.