Bayern Munich manager Hansi Flick explains difficult transition for new players

One of the hot topics of the last few days in Bavaria has been how the Bayern Munich’s group of summer transfers have had trouble adjusting to life under Hansi Flick.

The treble-winning manager said last weekend that he was not worried about some of the new players, while Bild took a hammer to many of them in their own piece assessing the impact of each player.

In his press conference today, Flick tried to delve a little deeper into explaining why some players have had trouble adjusting to the playing style, culture, and demands of life on Säbener Straße.

“I have often explained the reasons why one or the other has had initial difficulties,” said Flick. “The team has a bold philosophy and plays with high intensity. That requires a high level of readiness. I can’t deny that to anyone. They are all absolutely professional. Everyone has their own little story behind them. For new players, more training sessions would be good. They all came relatively late. But we’re top of the league and in a difficult phase.”

We provided our own take yesterday as well within our report on Bild’s piece and it just seems that some of the players brought in might not be long-term fits with the Bavarians.

Regardless, however anyone feels about each individual player that came in, one thing is clear: The front office likely needs a better vetting process for its veteran transfers and how they will fit into Bayern Munich’s scheme and mentality. The world of sport is “what have you done for me lately” environment. Taking six months or longer to acclimate to a new club is not always sustainable for veteran players — or the club — in the modern game.

Luckily for Bayern Munich, the club was not in a position where they needed any or all of the new players to come in and be an immediate contributor — even Leroy Sane. With a fantastic starting XI and a few top-flight reserves already on the roster, the “Summer of 2020” transfer group has a little bit longer of a leash to work with.