National team
Probing questions for Flick – Rüdiger misses “devotion”
Germany’s coach Hansi Flick is on the edge of the field. photo
© Marcus Brandt/dpa
Before he promptly returned to his home base in Frankfurt, Hansi Flick had to answer probing reporter questions at the Bremen stadium. The 1000th international match of the national soccer team was supposed to generate the urgently hoped-for optimism in the country exactly one year before the start of the European Championships at home.
Before he promptly returned to his home base in Frankfurt, Hansi Flick had to answer probing reporter questions at the Bremen stadium. The 1000th international match of the national soccer team was supposed to generate the urgently hoped-for optimism in the country exactly one year before the start of the European Championships at home.
But the 3: 3 (1: 2) in the benefit game against Ukraine led to the complete opposite in terms of atmosphere. The next low point has been reached, the Bremen audience whistled at times and called for their SV Werder. “We know that there is still a lot of work ahead of us,” said Flick meanwhile. He spoke several times of “a process” that takes time. And everyone obviously demands a lot of endurance.
National coach: “We have a plan”
A process turns out to be showing no progress even after the early failure at the World Cup in Qatar. Was that it again with the triple chain experiment? Is the enormous quality that Flick attests to his team over and over again, possibly a misjudgment? Does he perhaps overwhelm you with new tasks, constellations and ideas? No, no, no, Flick replied.
“We have a plan as far as the whole thing is concerned. We will continue to follow it,” said the national coach with a view to the following two European Championship tests on Friday in Warsaw against Poland and at the end of the season in Gelsenkirchen against Colombia. Even then he wants to try the back three again after further training and training sessions.
Hansi Flick is facing a groundbreaking week
The captain, who after Kai Havertz’ late 2:3 with his strong nerves on the penalty kick in injury time, still averted the next defeat after the already sobering 2:3 against Belgium in March, expressed a clear priority that should actually be set now. “Football is and will remain a result sport. And we have to get the results under control as quickly as possible,” said Joshua Kimmich.
At the same time, the error rate must decrease. And the team has to act differently, show attitude for 90 minutes. “We gave them all the goals,” complained defender Antonio Rüdiger, who repeated his complaint after the World Cup disaster six months ago: “It also has something to do with dedication. You have to win duels.” Hansi Flick is facing a restless, difficult and groundbreaking week. The pressure is increasing, also on him. “Cheer up, we continue against Poland on Friday,” he said before the DFB entourage quickly left Bremen.