Rudi Völler celebrates a win as Germany caretaker manager over France

The vibes are excellent.

The result may mean little — it was a friendly, after all, with no incentive for either side to feature their most competitive XI — but Germany’s 2-1 win over France has put some spring into the step of the Germans again.

The man of the hour: undoubtedly Germany’s interim manager, Rudi Völler, stepping in after the sacking of former Bayern Munich manager (and now former Germany manager) Hansi Flick after Saturday’s defeat to Japan.

“The first half was a top performance,” Völler described after the game (via @iMiaSanMia). “In the second half we were stable and put in a great fight. The second goal was a relief for all of us. We were up against a world-class team, you just have to say that. Even if it was just a friendly, it’s also about a bit of prestige, they (France) don’t like losing against Germany, I know that. It feels good after the last defeats.”

Is it too late to tout Völler for the permanent job? Whatever the former national team manager did in his few short days as caretaker, he certainly got the psychology right.

As for the team’s strong make-up performance after falling flat, Völler indicated it would not have changed his decision to sack Flick. “The result doesn’t change my decision. That’s very clear to me,” he added.

Looking for more Germany analysis? Take a journey back to the podcast episode for the Japan game that spelled the end for Hansi Flick! Listen to it below or on Spotify.

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