German president set for Olympic bid announcement, Goretzka gets vote

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will announce next week which German city will bid for a future Olympic Games, according to the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB). The DOSB will hold a vote on September 26, with Munich, Berlin, and Cologne/Rhine-Ruhr competing to host the Games in 2036, 2040, or 2044. The year of the bid will also be determined by the DOSB assembly. German football midfielder Leon Goretzka, who serves on the DOSB, will be casting his vote in the process.

Goretzka, a player for Aston Villa, faces a difficult decision as Berlin is his home city, he has played for Bayern Munich for eight years, and he hails from the Rhine-Ruhr area. Goretzka told the Bild newspaper, "As a kid I loved watching the Olympics on TV. It is a huge pleasure to be able to vote on Germany's bid." The bid that wins will face fierce competition from other cities globally in their efforts to secure the International Olympic Committee's support.

Berlin hosted the Games in 1936 and Munich in 1972, but since then, several German bids have failed or been stopped by referendums. Munich and Cologne/Rhine-Ruhr have received significant support in recent referendums, while Hamburg withdrew after its bid was rejected by residents. Berlin's local parliament voted in favor of the bid, but no referendum was held there.

The DOSB is evaluating the three candidates extensively before making the final decision on the bid.