“It’s so liberating”
Hansi Flick reveals strategies for dealing with disasters
03/13/2023, 07:30 am
The World Cup in Qatar ends in disaster for the German national team – and the national coach has to justify himself as a manager. The processing of the sporting low blow is underway, Flick channels the excitement with crumble cake, among other things.
As a master baker for his grandchildren and with special relaxation exercises, Hansi Flick has worked through his personal disappointment at the early World Cup knockout of the national soccer team. “Doing breathing exercises in the morning instead of looking at your cell phone – I can only recommend that,” said the national coach in an interview with the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”. He had already found his distance from the sporting disaster in Qatar during his Christmas vacation. “I read a lot, did yoga, ate well, and meditated,” said the 58-year-old.
The processing of the sporting failure in the group phase was not limited to himself. “It was also clear to me that I would personally be able to cope with the reactions, but what concerned me after the World Cup was the question of my family. That was always going through my head: how is my wife, my children, my parents ? The grandchildren? The big one is now ten years old, she’s already noticed a lot,” reported Flick of his concern after returning from Doha in early December.
But it was precisely the private environment that provided support. “At the same time, the family was also the place where I could forget all my troubles. Baking apple crumble cake with the grandchildren – that’s when you forget everything that’s bothering you,” said Flick.
He himself drew one conclusion and is happy about less disruption: “I changed my cell phone number. And honestly: It’s kind of liberating, it’s – really great,” said the national coach.