Jones signs off for World Cup role

Former Germany star Steffi Jones will retire from football this weekend at the age of 34 to concentrate on a role in organising the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup.

Final game
Two times a UEFA Women's Cup winner with 1. FFC Frankfurt, central defender Jones' contract with the club will be terminated by mutual consent on 31 December to allow her to focus on her role as president of host nation Germany's organising committee. She will play her final league game on 9 December against SG Wattenscheid 09.

'Huge challenge'
"Since I want to put all my energy into my new task from January 2008, I have decided in coordination with Frankfurt, to end my long career as a player," she explained. "As difficult as this step is and as much as I would have liked to play the full season, I am looking forward to the huge challenge of working on a World Cup in our own country even more."

Trophy haul
Capped 111 times for Germany, Jones won the UEFA European Women's Championship in 1997, 2001 and 2005 and also helped her side claim their first World Cup in 2003, as well as Olympic bronze medals in 2000 and 2004. With Frankfurt and FSV Frankfurt, she won six German titles and UEFA Women's Cups in 2002 and 2006, and also won the 2003 WUSA championship with Washington Freedom.

Iconic figure
"After so many wonderful and extraordinarily successful years together, it is a matter of course that given her new task we have agreed to cancel her contract," said Frankfurt general manager Siegfried Dietrich. "With her personality, Steffi is one of the players the public identify with women's football. This has been positive for 1. FFC Frankfurt over the years. She is a great player, an outstanding ambassador to our sport and the ideal choice as president of the organising committee for the 2011 World Cup. 1. FFC Frankfurt can only thank Steffi." Frankfurt recently reached the semi-finals of the 2007/08 UEFA Women's Cup with a 2-1 aggregate win against WFC Rossiyanka.