Hansi Flick has been dismissed from his role as the manager of the German national football team following a disappointing 4-1 loss to Japan in a friendly match held in Wolfsburg on Saturday.
This decision marks the first time a German national team manager has been sacked since the inception of the position in 1926.
Germany has suffered defeat in four out of their last five matches, with Flick managing to secure only 12 wins out of 25 games since taking over from Joachim Low in August 2021.
Rudi Voller, who previously managed the German national team from 2000 to 2004, has stepped in as the interim manager for the upcoming friendly against France on Tuesday.
Voller, aged 63, is a former German national team striker and was appointed as the director of the German national team in February. He will be supported by Hannes Wolf and Sandro Wagner.
Germany is set to host the UEFA European Championship for men next year, but the team has been struggling with its performance.
Bernd Neuendorf, the President of the German Football Association (DFB), stated, “The football committee has unanimously agreed that the German national team needs a fresh start following its recent disappointing results.”
“As we approach the European Championship next summer, we need to instill confidence and optimism in our nation regarding our team’s capabilities. This decision has been one of the most difficult ones I’ve had to make during my tenure in this role because I hold Hansi Flick and his coaching staff in high regard, both professionally and personally.”
Neuendorf emphasized the paramount importance of sporting success to the DFB, which necessitated this decision.
Flick, aged 58, previously served as an assistant coach to Low with the German national team from 2006 to 2014. His tenure as head coach began with an impressive streak of eight consecutive wins, but the team’s performance progressively declined, culminating in their group-stage exit in the last World Cup.
Flick’s assistant coaches, Marcus Sorg and Danny Rohl, have also been relieved of their duties.
In the past 12 months, Germany has only managed to defeat Oman, Costa Rica, and Peru, a disappointing performance considering Flick’s remarkable record of 70 wins out of 86 games while managing Bayern Munich from November 2019 to June 2021. Under his leadership, Bayern achieved a domestic league and cup treble, along with winning the Champions League in the 2019-20 season.
Following the defeat against Japan, Flick expressed his deep disappointment but believed he remained the right manager for Germany. However, he ominously acknowledged, “Things can change in professional football, and I can’t foresee what lies ahead.”
The German Football Association (DFB) hopes to announce Flick’s permanent replacement as soon as possible. Julian Nagelsmann, who succeeded Flick as the head coach of Bayern at the end of the 2020-21 season, is among the leading contenders. The highly regarded 38-year-old has been without a coaching role since Bayern terminated his contract in March.
Liverpool’s manager, Jurgen Klopp, has also been mentioned in the German media as a potential candidate. Rudi Voller could be considered as well, although he has not held a managerial position since serving as the caretaker manager of Bayer Leverkusen in 2005.
Another name in the conversation is the Austrian former manager of Eintracht Frankfurt, Oliver Glasner.
