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Update — 8:40AM EDT: Flick not on chopping block yet
DFB president Bernd Neuendorf hit SID to temporarily tamp down the increasingly loud chatter that Hansi Flick is on the hot seat with the German national team:
Decision: #Flick will remain the head coach of @DFB_Team!
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) June 21, 2023
President Neuendorf told @SID_Sportnews: „I spoke to him on the phone. He assured me that in September we will see a team that performs differently than last time.“
The matches in September ( & ) could be his last… pic.twitter.com/nswTPvkb7r
The full info captured by Sky Sport journalist Florian Plettenberg, however, reads a little different than just what the tweet displays visually when embedded (Thanks Elon!):
Decision: #Flick will remain the head coach of @DFB_Team!
President Neuendorf told @SID_Sportnews: “I spoke to him on the phone. He assured me that in September we will see a team that performs differently than last time.“
The matches in September ( & ) could be his last chance as Flick has promised to stop experimenting. No contact with (Julian) Nagelsmann yet.
Flick is in need of a good showing against both Japan and...France?
Yikes.
According to a report from Sport1, Germany is already looking at options to replace former Bayern Munich manager Hansi Flick — and has been doing so since the team flamed out at the World Cup last winter:
There is no sign of a spirit of optimism in the country a year before the European Championships at home. According to SPORT1 information, the association leadership around President Bernd Neuendorf, Vice Hans-Joachim Watzke and (Rudi) Völler did not miss it either. Even if they would never admit it publicly: they have long been examining all options in the background and exploring the general conditions for a potential Flick separation.
Flick’s contract runs until 2024, and the 58-year-old himself had ruled out resigning. The general conditions are known to the DFB leadership. Does the association try again with Jürgen Klopp? According to SPORT1 information, the former BVB coach was already felt out after the Qatar exit – the 56-year-old fan favorite canceled with a view to his job and the serious crisis in Liverpool at the time.
His project on the island is not yet over and he referred to his contract, which runs until 2026. Dare the bosses try again?
It could be getting near that time, especially when perusing the results:
27% - The German national team won only three of 11 international matches in the 2022-23 season – that win percentage of 27% is the lowest by the national side in a campaign since 1958-59 (14%). Low. pic.twitter.com/nVAvTtJVDw
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) June 21, 2023
If anyone is expecting Flick to resign, however, it will not be happening as noted above. That manager spoke openly about how things move forward for him after a disastrous set of games over the last week.
“My idea of football is the right one for this team. I’ve not experienced a situation like this before. I can work with the best players in Germany, I enjoy my work. We’ll try to do better in September,” Flick told SID (as captured by @iMiaSanMia).
Whether he likes it or not, the time for experimentation is over and Flick is firmly in the crosshairs of both fans and his bosses. Trying to do better in September might not be good enough to help Flick make it to next summer’s European Championships.
If you missed our Initial Analysis, Match Awards, Observations, or Postgame Podcast for Germany’s debacle against Colombia give them a look and/or a listen.
If you want to hear our thoughts on why this break was a disaster, how the players and coaches are both at fault for the mess, our Podcast is available below or on Spotify:
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