Vodafone Germany reportedly could be forced to axe 1,300 jobs as part of a wider reshuffle, a move CEO Philippe Rogge branded as a painful yet necessary step to become a major rival to Deutsche Telekom.

The news, first reported by German outlet Handelsblatt, would predominantly affect administrative and management roles if it is put into force.

Rogge told Handelsblatt the cuts would form a broader company “restart”, while financing its ambitions to compete with Deutsche Telekom.

The news comes a matter of weeks after Vodafone Group was rumoured to target a cut of 1,000 jobs in its Italian unit, amounting to almost 20 per cent of its workforce.

At end of 2022, the company revealed a €1 billion cost-cutting move as its European units were hit by economic declines.