Hansi Flick does not make his future as national coach dependent on the pending decision on a successor to DFB managing director Oliver Bierhoff.
“I am convinced that it will work. It was never a thought for me to resign. The exchange with Bernd Neuendorf and Hans-Joachim Watzke is good, we have a good basis,” said Flick in an interview with Deutsche Presse- Agency.
A good two weeks after the early World Cup failure of the national soccer team in Qatar, the 57-year-old has high hopes for the work of the two working groups set up at the German Soccer Association. He defended the expert council around Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Oliver Kahn and Matthias Sammer against criticism that they were not heterogeneously cast. “First of all, you have to see that they are absolute personalities in German football, who all have a lot of experience. They know what is important. That’s why I think it’s great that they have agreed to offer advice,” said Flick .
The committee is to provide decisive support to the DFB leadership in the search for a successor to Bierhoff. Flick defended his statements, which some interpreted as a possible threat of resignation, after leaving Bierhoff almost two weeks ago. “My words about Oliver Bierhoff were important to me. I know how quickly it can happen. The king is dead, long live the king. That doesn’t do him justice. I wanted to pay tribute to him. We are now on the DFB campus “, said the national coach. “Without him we would still be in the Otto Fleck lane. Oliver has done a lot for German football, I wanted to express that.”
Irrespective of this, he will cooperate intensively with the future Bierhoff legacy. “And that doesn’t mean that I don’t work with his successor in a spirit of trust,” said Flick about his statements per Bierhoff. Flick “did not want to rate” the fact that his end after 18 years with the DFB and most recently three tournament disappointments was inevitable. “Once again: Oliver Bierhoff gave a lot to German football. He’s no obstacle if you want to be successful.”
