Matthew’s dream solution cancels
Two ex-Bayern coaches are applying to become national coaches
September 12, 2023, 6:40 a.m
The German Football Association doesn’t have much time to clarify Hansi Flick’s successor as national coach. The field of candidates is wide – although Matthias Sammer, preferred by Lothar Matthäus, is not available. Two former Bayern coaches have now expressed their interest.
There is no obvious solution for succeeding Hansi Flick as national coach. Against France on Tuesday evening (9 p.m./ARD and in the live ticker at ntv.de), Rudi Völler, together with Hannes Wolf and Sandro Wagner, will look after the German footballers once – but afterwards a permanent solution should be presented quickly. Simply because there is a home European Championship coming up in nine months, before which there is a lot of work to do in terms of the DFB team’s form curve (only 4 wins from the most recent 17 games). Völler, actually the sports director for the men of the German Football Association, announced a quick decision: “We want to present the right coach in the next three and a half weeks.
The DFB team will face hosts USA in Hartford and Mexico in Philadelphia in October. Until then, “it is important that we find a trainer who puts his heart and soul into it,” said Völler. Völler confirmed that there had already been “discussions” within the association after the separation from Hansi Flick as a result of the embarrassment against Japan (1:4): “Of course there are names that come into consideration. But I won’t comment on them.” The 63-year-old then described Julian Nagelsmann, who had been brought into play from many sides, as an “absolute top trainer”. However, Völler added: “Like many others.” A Nagelsmann commitment also entails certain risks.
Meanwhile, Felix Magath got himself into position. The three-time champion coach – twice with FC Bayern, once with VfL Wolfsburg – would be confident of getting the national team back on track in the nine months until the home European Championship. He has “shown often enough” that he is able to “lift up unsettled teams and give them so much confidence that they were able to perform very well again. That is what the DFB needs at the moment “, said the 70-year-old on the radio station NDR 90.3. In his last coaching position to date, Magath, known as a tough dog – nicknamed “Quälix” – saved Hertha BSC from relegation as a firefighter in the 2021/22 Bundesliga season.
Matthias Sammer is currently unavailable. The 1996 European champion, brought into the game by record national player Lothar Matthäus, has no ambitions for the prestigious job. The sports information service reported this with reference to Sammer’s “close environment”. The 56-year-old, who coached Borussia Dortmund to the championship title and the UEFA Cup final in 2002, has also emphasized several times in the past that he no longer wants to take on a day-to-day job for health reasons.
Since Flick’s resignation on Sunday afternoon, Oliver Glasner (most recently Eintracht Frankfurt), Stefan Kuntz (national coach of the Turkish team) and Louis van Gaal, who led the Netherlands to the quarter-finals against eventual title holders Argentina at the World Cup in Qatar, have also been traded. As a club coach, the 72-year-old has looked after Ajax Amsterdam, FC Barcelona, Manchester United and FC Bayern, among others – and even seems to be interested in the position. However, the Dutchman believes he has little chance of actually getting a chance, as “no foreigner has ever been selected for the position of national coach in Germany.” Van Gaal told “Bild” that he no longer wanted to take over a club, “but a promising country still has a chance to convince me.”