Former US soccer coach reveals why he quit sport to manage three McDonald's restaurants

Alexander Nouri was once known for being a soccer manger and coach, but these days he's a McDonald's restaurant owner.

Nouri's last job in the sports industry was a coach for Greek team Kavala FC. Prior to that, the German native had been the manager of Werder Bremen, Hertha Berlin and Ingolstadt, and had been an assistant to Jurgen Klinsmann in Berlin.

Since his role in Kavala, which he quit in 2022, Norui has been offered other soccer roles from various lower-league German teams and some in the Middle East, but he's turned them all down. Why? Because it 'didn't feel right anymore'.

"The job is so demanding that it needs 100 per cent of you," he told The Athletic. "If you do it with 98 percent, it’s not right."

Now he spends his days running three McDonald's restaurants as a franchisee.

Nouri explained the reasonings for his drastic career change: "I just felt at this moment, this was the end of that life story (in football). And so I have to begin something new.

"It wasn’t a decision only of myself. It was a decision with my family, and we made it together after years of constant moves and uncertainty in professional soccer. We felt it was the right time to build a more stable future together."

As to why he picked McDonald's, Nouri said the fast food chain 'gave me the chance to build something as an entrepreneur'.

Per the McDonald's website, becoming a franchisee is 'a stable, long-term investment of your time, energy and money that delivers excitement, choice and security for your future'.

It adds: "Becoming a McDonald’s restaurant owner is a business journey that can take you from your first site to five, 10 or more.

"You’ll impact local life and create opportunities for people by combining your leadership skills with our franchise model."

According to The Athletic, it takes around a year to become a franchisee. Nouri opened his first two McDonald's in January and has already opened another establishment.

Over the three restaurants, Nouri had 150 employees.

"It was a long process," he said. "Maybe about three years after leaving coaching, I reflected on what I really wanted from the next chapter of my life. I realised I was looking for stability.

"I realised I was looking for the chance to build something over the long term and the opportunity to create lasting impact."

Nouri continued to explain that his soccer jobs impacted his family as, even though he'd sign three-year contracts, they'd often end after a year.

The dad-of-two reflected: "It’s a big challenge for your family. I was always looking for this stability. In professional football, it’s rare and only a few have the chance to build something in the long term."