Having played professional football for 14 years, German-Iranian Nouri then moved into management. He earned his badges in 2016 alongside Julian Nagelsmann, who was top of the class.
There he managed the likes of boyhood club Werder Bremen and FC Ingolstadt and was later named the interim boss of Hertha Berlin.
With boyhood club Werder he was tasked with seeing the club avoid relegation, before an 11 game unbeaten run including nine wins saw them narrowly miss out on European football.
However, he failed to hit the same heights and with his most recent football coaching role coming in 2022 with Greek side Kavala, Nouri has made a dramatic shift in management.
Now, instead of directing passing drills, the 46-year-old with two kids will be directing burger flips.
From January 2026 he will be in charge of two McDonalds restaurants in Herzogenrath, a small town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and neighbouring Kohlscheid.
Speaking to German outlet Süddeutsche Zeitung, Nouri said: “Ultimately, both worlds are about bringing people along.
“In football, it’s players; here, it’s employees. But the basic principle is the same: you have to understand who’s sitting in front of you, what motivates them, what they need to perform.”
Nouri also explained he was desperate for stability in his life, something he felt could not be achieved in football.
He recalled a saying from his football course which said: “When you sign your contract, you’re also signing your dismissal.”
As the restaurant management job has gotten nearer and nearer, Nouri’s purpose going forward has too.
He said: “I was always aware that the role you currently hold carries a certain status.”
But Nouri explains that status is as a “figure” and not tied to him as a person.
