Hansi Flick’s public defender was a few minutes late. With his sleeves rolled up, Rudi Völler sat down on the well-lit podium of the national soccer team – and then began a five-and-a-half-minute plea for the national coach, who was counted on by fans and the media.
“Of course Hansi Flick will remain coach,” said Völler in a strong voice – even if there was another possible defeat in the important mood test on Tuesday (8.45 p.m. / RTL) against Colombia. “Despite everything, even if the results weren’t right, I’m still optimistic or confident that we can pull it off.”
As an experienced Bundesliga manager, the former DFB team boss and crowd hero was of course prepared for the critical questions after the sobering performances against Ukraine (3:3) and in Poland (0:1). “Taking people with you was not that successful, of course, I’m happy to admit that. It’s due to the results,” said Völler. “But one thing is a fact: Hansi Flick is an absolute top coach! And one who is constantly asking himself “how his team can play a top European Championship” in 2024, said Völler.
Whether his appearance on Sunday after team training, in which triple champion Ilkay Gündogan took part for the first time in this international phase, was planned from the outset remains open. Ultimately, however, it didn’t matter. The sports director, who started at the beginning of the year to direct the public in the direction of the EM, had to face Flick as an official. This is his DFB mandate. “Absolutely not” had been discussed internally about the national coach in the past few days, remarked the 63-year-old. And “yes, of course” he was convinced that Flick would not give up on his own.
Only the game in Poland was discussed with DFB President Bernd Neuendorf and DFL Supervisory Board Chairman Hans-Joachim Watkze. “We all agree on that, we’re disappointed that we didn’t win the game,” said Völler. “But again: we all agree that Hansi Flick is the right one.”
The game in Gelsenkirchen against the world number 17. Colombia made Völler a game for the fans, just to reconcile them a bit. However, he did not make up his mind to make a victory. “If it doesn’t work on Tuesday, we’ll try in September.” Then there are the tougher tests against World Cup horror Japan and vice world champion France. Unlike when he took office, Völler at least equated Flick’s experiments with system and tactics with the task of winning back supporters. “Of course you would like to have both,” said the 1990 world champion.
During training in bright sunshine, Flick looked experienced. “The atmosphere in the team is not good because of the results,” said Robin Gosens. “But we see the development, I won’t let anyone else tell me that.” Without a whistle around his neck, Flick gathered almost all national players for team training. Goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen trained individually. The Leverkusen youngster Florian Wirtz, who cannot yet set any scent marks in the DFB selection, was missing because of a bruise on his thigh. The top scorer in the squad is now Gündogan – as a midfielder.
“We have to fight and win – that’s our job,” said Flick after the Poland game. What else is left? The first internet portals opened surveys at the weekend as to whether Flick was still the right one. The public dynamics that would develop in the event of a sobering draw or even a defeat at the end of the season in Gelsenkirchen can be guessed at. That’s also why Völler’s plea.
When asked whether it was a burden for the team that Flick was being questioned in the media, captain Joshua Kimmich replied: “I haven’t had the feeling so far. I hope it doesn’t bother the national coach either, because we as a team are behind him. “
Flick’s players tend to finally gain direction on the narrow line between results football and experiments, which is so complicated for the DFB – and preferably constant. “With Argentina or Italy, who won the last tournaments, it wasn’t the case that they started playing good football in preparation for the tournament, but that they achieved very good results the year before,” said Kimmich . “That must also be our goal.” The European champions Italy and the World Cup champions Argentina had their fans euphoric with series of successes even before the tournaments.
The DFB selection has only won four in the past 15 games. Flick is in free fall in the striking point average table of all national coaches, which is less meaningful for title wins. “In phases like this, the only thing that helps is standing together and continuing until it works,” said center forward Niclas Füllkrug: “Everything else doesn’t help. It doesn’t help to knock things over too big either.”
