Arminia Bielefeld has appointed Oliver Kirch as its new head coach. The native of Soest transitions from Regionalliga side Borussia Mönchengladbach II and assumes the role immediately, the second-division club announced on Friday.
Michael Mutzel, the Sporting Director, expressed his excitement about securing Oliver Kirch for Arminia Bielefeld and inspiring him to join their vision. He also thanked Borussia Mönchengladbach for granting him a short-notice release.
Mutzel stated that the club’s goal was not simply to find the fastest candidate, but the right one. “Discussions with Oliver showed that we think in the same direction internally, and he advocates for bold, intensive, and attacking football” he explained. “Furthermore, he has already demonstrated throughout his coaching career that he can develop young players to a high standard. Oliver brings a great deal of energy and positive conviction, and his character fits very well with our community, both on and off the pitch at Arminia Bielefeld”.
Similarly, Oliver Kirch confirmed his decision. “After speaking with Michael Mutzel, it was immediately clear to me that I wanted to take my next career step at Arminia Bielefeld. We think about football very similarly, and we want to develop our team and stabilize in the 2. Bundesliga together” Kirch said. “I am really looking forward to meeting all the players and the support staff and working successfully with the entire team. Many things have developed positively at Arminia, and I want to build upon that positive momentum at my former club. I will give everything to continue this positive development”.
Kirch previously spent three full seasons in Bielefeld, having played for SC Verl and Borussia Mönchengladbach. Between 2007 and 2010, he made 77 professional appearances in the 1. and 2. Bundesliga for the Schwarz-Weiß-Blau. His career subsequently saw stops at 1. FC Kaiserslautern and Borussia Dortmund before he concluded his playing career at SC Paderborn.
Following his retirement, Kirch worked as a youth coach for Akademinia (U17, U19, and U23) from 2018 to 2021. He then moved to Borussia Mönchengladbach via Hamburger SV (U19-Bundesliga). At Gladbach, he initially coached the U19 squad and later, in January 2026, took over the U23 team in the Regionalliga West, leading them to sixth place in the league. He and his family reside in Bielefeld.
Furthermore, Maximilian Nadidai will join DSC Arminia Bielefeld as an assistant coach, transferring from Borussia Mönchengladbach. They have been working together for several years, demonstrating a strong rapport.
