Monday, April 19, 2021
First words according to the termination plan
Flick does not set a new fire at Bayern
With his public request to terminate the contract, Hansi Flick shocked Bayern permanently. At his first official appearance afterwards, the successful coach is then again conciliatory. He still owes many answers.
Hansi Flick didn’t feel like putting another fuse on the powder keg of FC Bayern. “I am very grateful to the club,” said the coach, regardless of the escalated power struggle with his bosses, which threatens to tear the German record champions on the season’s home stretch.
But now Flick suddenly sounded conciliatory. “I had and still have a great, successful time here,” he said, “and success is always shared, not alone. That is always my credo.” Should he say goodbye in the summer, as hoped, with the ninth championship in a row and the associated fifth star for the Bayern jersey, “we can all celebrate together,” he said.
All! Together! So also Flick with his permanent rival Hasan Salihamidžić and the rest of the board, who had given him a public reprimand on Sunday. At his press conference before the Bundesliga game against Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday (8.30 p.m. / Sky and in the live ticker at ntv.de), the coach said in a soothing tone, “there is nothing more to say about me”.
The fact that he appeared in front of every camera last Saturday in Wolfsburg, contrary to the internal agreement with his wish to terminate his contract, which ran until 2023, was “a spontaneous matter”. The only reason for this, according to Flick, was that his players should find out from him personally about the impending separation. He did it, he added, “so that I don’t mess around any longer”. And now he just wants to answer sporty questions, please.
A world champion could go too
Not only the Bayern fans are urgently asking for further answers. Will the Bayern Flicks request to terminate the contract? How far are the record champions in their efforts to get Julian Nagelsmann from RB Leipzig as his successor? And when does the German Football Association (DFB) announce the commitment of Flick as the successor to national coach Joachim Löw?
The Bayern bosses are just as covered as Nagelsmann and the association. DFB director Oliver Bierhoff has long since identified the former world champion assistant Flick as the preferred candidate for the Löw legacy from the summer, but does not want to put additional strain on the already fragile relationship with FC Bayern. That would be the case if the impression were created that Flick had only forced his departure because he had long since reached an agreement with Bierhoff.
In Flick’s assistant Miroslav Klose, another man from Munich is traded for the national team. The DFB record scorer, who is also angry about Bayern, could follow his boss to the association, it is said. It made him “thoughtful”, said Klose “Kicker” and “Bild”, “how people are communicating with each other right now”.
He misses the “respect for one another”. CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and honorary president Uli Hoeneß had made the club “a world club because they were always concerned with FC Bayern – and not with personal vanities”. It is evidently different now.
What will happen to Nagelsmann?
Would Nagelsmann want to do that to himself? First discussions between the respective club officials should have already taken place. And even if the coach assured that he did not know Bayern’s plans, he let it be known that he considered himself suitable. He was a type, he said, “who always considers the club’s opinion to be more important than that of the coach”. Also in transfer issues.
The Munich bosses should have liked to hear that, as it was one of the reasons for the escalation at Flick. A premature separation this season is not planned. Flick also sees it as his “duty” to at least win the championship.
Against Leverkusen he can count on national player Leon Goretzka again. World footballer Robert Lewandowski also made “an excellent impression”, but should not be in Mainz until Saturday. There Flick could already make his farewell gift fifth star perfect.
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