Germany's disaster: Flick before expulsion

The 1:4 against Japan on Saturday was another revelation that staggered coach Hansi Flick, who had started his term so successfully. Three days before the duel with vice world champion France, Flick took refuge in slogans of perseverance, while successor candidates are already being discussed.

DFB sports director Rudi Völler, who had clearly placed himself ahead of Flick after the disappointments in June, avoided making any further commitment. “I feel a bit sorry for Hansi Flick about how things turned out.” The 1-4 defeat was a disgrace. “In three days we play against the best team in Europe, that will of course be difficult. But we can’t shit ourselves either,” said Völler.

No commitment to Flick It was the fifth game in a row without a win at the start of the European Championship season and thus a continuation of the rapid downward trend under Flick. “We're not talking about playing three games well and then losing one and then playing two games well again,” said Joshua Kimmich, given the string of bad games (3:3 against Ukraine, 0:1 against Poland, 0:2 against Colombia). Recently they didn't even play against “the biggest football nations”. “We are confident in what we do.” Hansi flick Kimmich avoided the question of whether he was still convinced that Flick was the right coach for the 2024 European Championship at home. “It's not about pointing the finger at the coach or anyone else.” The players have to start with themselves. “If you don't bring quality onto the pitch so often and over such a long period of time, we also have to ask ourselves whether we really have top quality everywhere,” said the Bayern kicker, to whom Flick plays the role of right-back who repeatedly moves into midfield had intended. The plan didn't work.

Joshua Kimmich engages in self-criticism. © APA/afp / RONNY HARTMANN

Flick, who had predicted a “different team” for the fall in June, had already set an example when he was nominated. Established forces such as Leon Goretzka and Timo Werner have been sorted out; a “core team” around the new captain Ilkay Gündogan should finally prepare for the European Championships. In any case, his team was well prepared, emphasized Flick. “We will continue to do that, there is nothing to explain about it. We will continue to do so. We are confident in what we do. That’s why it continues like this for me.”

Those would be the candidates Of course, that remains to be seen. The former Bayern success coach led the regeneration training on Sunday, but discussions about possible successors are of course in full swing. Many people want the 36-year-old Nagelsmann, who would of course be expensive. Jürgen Klopp is revered at Liverpool FC. Ralf Rangnick works successfully with Austria. And Stefan Kuntz, who was preferred to Flick, is coaching Turkey.

Oliver Glasner, an Austrian who led Eintracht Frankfurt to Europa League triumph in 2022, would be available. The 49-year-old, who is taking a break after leaving Eintracht in the summer, was last mentioned by the daily newspaper BILD brought into play and would be an absolute novelty: the DFB team has never been led by a foreign coach.

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Germany's disaster: Flick before expulsion

Around eight months before the European Football Championship, host Germany is in pitiful form. The national coach could now be the first to suffer.

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