Before departure for two international matches in the USA on October 9th, the German Football Association (DFB) wants to present a new national coach for the senior national team. Rudi Völler said this on Monday (September 11th, 2023) during the press conference in Dortmund.
“It is now our main task to find a national coach relatively quickly,” said Völler, who made the DFB’s selection on Tuesday (9 p.m., live on Erste and in the stream at sportschau.de) against France in collaboration with youth director Hannes Wolf and the Former national player Sandro Wagner will look after him.
Völler did not want to comment on names like Julian Nagelsmann and Louis van Gaal, who are being considered as successors to Hansi Flick, who was released on Sunday after the embarrassing 4-1 defeat against Japan.
Völler: “It’s a unique thing for me”
However, he ruled out that he himself would be responsible for the national team again for a longer period of time, even if there was a convincing win against France (“They are the best team in Europe, there is no doubt about that.”) and the fans shouted his name. “It’s a unique thing for me,” said the 63-year-old Völler. He didn’t even want to commit to the game against the 2018 world champion and runner-up at the tournament in Qatar four years later: “I don’t want to say that I had to be persuaded, but I don’t like it.”
Völler, who as team boss lost the 2002 World Cup final with Germany against Brazil, only said a few words about the requirements profile of the new national coach. The new person should bring “one or two ideas” with them and ideally spark a bit of a spirit of optimism, regardless of the results.
Völler confirmed that he, together with DFB President Bernd Neuendorf and his powerful deputy Hans-Joachim Watzke, decided to leave Flick on Sunday. “Even though I previously believed that I could turn things around, it was simply no longer possible to continue with Hansi. In this constellation it simply wasn’t possible anymore,” said Völler, but Flick remains “a super trainer” for him.
Gündogan remains captain
Also sitting on the podium in the almost overcrowded media room of the Dortmund stadium was Ílkay Gündoğan, who had been named by Flick as the permanent captain before the game against Japan and would remain so, Völler assured.
He also stated that Gündogan gave a “really wonderful speech” when Flick said goodbye, for which there was “a lot of applause”. The captain noted: “The mood in the team is a mix of sadness, frustration and disappointment. Like some other players, I have the feeling that I have let Hansi down.”
The midfielder, who moved from Manchester City to FC Barcelona, admitted that the national team currently lacks unconditional mutual support, although the mood off the pitch is good: “I think it is our main task to change that.”
Völler announced that there would be “a maximum of three changes” in the starting lineup compared to the game against Japan. Völler left it open whether Joshua Kimmich would be used again as a right-back, moving into central midfield when he had the ball.
It is important to “strengthen the defense” against France, as we have made far too many mistakes recently.