National team
Fully guaranteed before the Colombia game: Flick remains the coach
DFB sports director Rudi Völler (right) supports national coach Hansi Flick. photo
© Arne Dedert/dpa
Despite the recent bad results of the national team at the DFB, Hansi Flick is not up for debate. Rudi Völler would not think about a separation even if he lost again.
DFB sports director Rudi Völler would not even consider separating from national coach Hansi Flick if the national team lost at the end of the season on Tuesday (8.45 p.m. / RTL) in Gelsenkirchen against Colombia.
“Of course Hansi Flick will stay coach,” said Völler at the press conference in Frankfurt/Main: “It’s not up for debate.” Flick is “an absolute top coach who thinks every day with his coaching team about how we can play a good European Championship next year.”
DFB President Bernd Neuendorf and Vice President Hans-Joachim Watzke also share this opinion, Völler reported: “We all agree that Hansi Flick is exactly the right coach to play a good European Championship.” Völler also ruled out Flick’s resignation: “Yes, of course.”
Only four wins in the last 15 games
The most recent result crisis with only four wins in the past 15 games would not go unnoticed by the national coach, said the sporting director. “Of course it’s not nice that he’s being criticized and getting headwind. But he’s a professional and knows that’s the way it is. Sometimes it feels unfair, but it’s part of the business,” said Völler: “That’s fate of a coach, whether in the Bundesliga or in the national team, you have to be able to endure something – and Hansi can do that.”
Völler vehemently defended that Flick used the first international matches of the year after the World Cup debacle to experiment. “That’s a great gift that a coach has. To say: What can I still do, what can I do better?” Even if the results weren’t right, like last time against Ukraine (3-3) and in Poland (0-1), Völler was optimistic: “The plan is there.”