Monday, August 09, 2021
“Special Abilities”
Flick’s staff has already formed
The new national coach has a lot to do: Hansi Flick not only has to get the national team back on track in terms of sport, he also has to noticeably raise the mood around the team. And all of this quickly. Flick has already put his first personal ideas in place.
With a hard hat and a bright safety vest, Hansi Flick marched at the side of Oliver Bierhoff across the large construction site of the DFB campus. The new national coach could not have imagined more symbolic power for the video shoot at his new, old employer when he started work. “We have a lot to do, we have a lot to do,” said Flick in the seven-minute clip.
On Tuesday, Flick will again be sitting on the campus construction site on the site of the former Frankfurt racecourse when he is officially presented as the successor to Joachim Löw. High Noon, 12 noon, the 56-year-old will start his first press conference in his new job. And there are enough questions 42 days after the EM disappointment with the knockout round at Wembley against England (2-0). What role do the former world champions Thomas Müller and Mats Hummels, who were ultimately unsuccessfully reactivated at the European Championship, play? How does Flick want to lead the national soccer team out of the deep mood? Is participation in the 2022 World Cup in danger?
“Want to play exciting football”
Flick will have to find answers quickly. In just three weeks, the qualification for Qatar continues with a three-pack against Liechtenstein, Armenia and Iceland. Nine points are then compulsory for Flick’s team as the current third party in the group. Flick had his last media appearance as a trainer at the DFB on July 10, 2014 as a Löw assistant. Germany historically defeated Brazil 7-1 in the World Cup semi-finals. Three days later, the crowning of the title should follow against Argentina in the Maracana of Rio de Janeiro. “The team is hot,” said Flick at the time. “We want to play exciting football,” says Flick today.
Like Flick, Benedikt Höwedes sat on the podium at the press conference in Santo André. The then reliable World Cup defender will in future be an important link for Flick between the team and DFB director Bierhoff. Last week, the DFB announced the important personnel for Flick, which should relieve Bierhoff in his abundance of functions. “I want to learn how a selection team is managed – and at the same time pass on my experience to the team and the team behind the team. I am very proud to be part of it again,” said Höwedes.
Clear announcements to the national team
The coaching team around Flick is now also fixed. In addition to the tried and tested Marcus Sorg under Löw, Danny Röhl will be a companion from the successful title days at FC Bayern Munich. Andreas Kronenberg will be goalkeeping coach and successor to Andreas Köpke, who will continue to work in two roles at SC Freiburg until next summer, as the DFB confirmed on Monday. There should be no lack of innovation. Mads Buttgereit will support Flick as a special trainer for standard situations in the future. The Dane has “special skills”, said the national coach about the 36-year-old.
There were clear announcements to the national players. “We have seven games this year. It must be clear to everyone that we are challenged,” said Flick. “There has to be an enormous mentality,” demanded the eleventh head coach in DFB history. Did it sound subliminally that she wasn’t that anymore? “If you do your job, you are at 100 percent,” Flick made his attitude clear. It will be essential for Flick to quickly shake off the late era of the Löw era, which was perceived as paralyzing. “We have to create an atmosphere to shape this team,” he said.
A lot of old DFB ballast around the team structure staged by Bierhoff must certainly be thrown off. When it comes to personnel issues, Flick does not have much room for improvement. Apparently the door is not closed for Müller and Hummels. “For me there is no age where they say he will no longer be a national player from then on.” All that counts is quality. Even Dortmund’s Marco Reus could be back in focus. But Flick will also have to look to the future and to rebuild. In three years the European Championship is coming up. He already mentioned Bayern youngster Jamal Musiala (18) and Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz (18) by name.
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