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It’s Wednesday ... a Champions League Wednesday ... it’s a Champions League Wednesday where Bayern Munich will square off with Paris Saint-Germain — without Robert Lewandowski and Serge Gnabry.
So, naturally the big story in Sport Bild’s print edition is the ongoing power struggle at Bayern Munich between manager Hansi Flick and sporting director Hasan “Brazzo” Salihamidzic.
Perfect timing, eh?
Anyway, Twitter account @iMiaSanMia captured the gist of the story in a series of tweets, so lets just address this now and get it over with:
Hansi Flick has informed the club's bosses that he's unhappy with his current working situation & that he'll be considering his future beyond the summer. The tension with Salihamidžić & the divergent views regarding squad and transfers are decisive for him [@cfbayern, @SPORTBILD] pic.twitter.com/NqHpgwrI4c
— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) April 7, 2021
BFW Commentary: As we have heard, Flick wants more say over personnel decisions — so much that he is ready to hit the eject button and get out of Bavaria after the season.
So, yeah, this is conceivably a real thing. Flick and Salihamidzic are both very good at their jobs — some would say world class — but the two men differ over personnel in a big enough way for their to be a public rift. I think we can all assume this part of the story is true — especially because Flick and other Bayern Munich front office personnel have addressed it publicly.
Does Flick deserve a bigger voice in those decisions? Probably. Will get it? Mmmmm...maybe not?
Flick doesn't want to endanger the season targets (Bundesliga and Champions League) with the ongoing discussion over his future, therefore he's keeping silent. After the season ends, the coach wants to reassess the situation and make a decision [@SPORTBILD]
— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) April 7, 2021
BFW Commentary: This is textbook Flick. From what we know, he hates distractions and he especially hates distractions occurring so close to a big game. A perfect example of this was his disdain over the “Jerome Boateng won’t get an extension” story breaking on Monday. That was inexcusable to Flick as he is trying to prepare an already shorthanded team for a big match against PSG.
However that story leaked, it is a bad look for the Bayern Munich front office.
Flick wants to have a say on the squad plans. Meanwhile, Salihamidžić insists on being responsible for transfer matters. For the club it's clear: Transfers have always been the responsibility of the board. The coach's job is to work with the existing personnel [@SPORTBILD]
— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) April 7, 2021
BFW Commentary: As stated, Flick and Salihamidzic are both very good at their jobs. Both men have a clear vision on a strategic direction for Bayern Munich’s squad planning — and those ideas do not apparently mesh closely enough for this working relationship to continue on much longer.
Summary
Simply put, Flick wants (and deserves) more say. Does he deserve total authoritative powers? No. Should Bayern Munich reexamine its own unevolved policy that does not give a manager a bigger voice? Perhaps.
This is tricky and not just because of the timing of this story being released or because the DFB would do nearly anything to get Flick on board to take over for Joachim Löw later this summer.
Flick is a rare coach who can effectively communicate, strategize, and draw the best from his players. Flick did not just show up and produce results, he re-built this squad from the ground-up in mentality, tactics, and personnel management.
Salihamidzic, meanwhile, has done a fantastic job of equipping the roster with talent. Both men, however, have not been perfect. Still, there should be a way to give Flick more say without alienating Salihamidzic — or giving the manager too much control.
And sure, Sport Bild is absolutely trying to capitalize on an internal rivalry. In this case, though, there is clearly at least some friction between Flick and Salihamidzic, which makes these reports hit home a little harder.
Is Flick’s future in as much dire straits as this report makes it appear?
Maybe.
That is about as close of a guess as we can give at this time. Regardless, neither Flick nor Salihamidzic will be thinking much about their alleged internal heat nor squad planning. I’m pretty sure all they have on their respective mind is the match against Paris Saint-Germain.
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