According to a report by Sport Bild (via @iMiaSanMia) Germany may be planning to sack Hansi Flick if this week’s round of international fixtures don’t go well. Former Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann is apparently being considered as a potential replacement, as is Oliver Glasner and Matthias Sammer.
The odds don’t look great for Hansi at the moment, given what happened in the last international break. Starting with a draw to Ukraine, the Germans went on to suffer increasingly poor defeats to Poland and Colombia — teams that, in theory, they should have beaten. Massive criticism was leveled at the coach and his tactics, especially the choice to test out a back three setup.
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While it was only three friendlies, that international break seems to have shaken some of the faith the DFB had in Hansi Flick, especially given his previous failure at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. While this report may not necessarily be wholly true, it may represent a change in thinking behind the scenes at the DFB — a change that will put Flick under tremendous pressure to get wins versus Japan and France in this international break.
Unfortunately, things are off to an inauspicious start, with the sole German striker in Niclas Fullkrug injured before a ball is even kicked, and a non-striker in Thomas Muller called up to replace him. With the only other “striker” on the team is Arsenal’s Kai Havertz, Flick will need some actual wizardry to turn this German national team side around — and he doesn’t have much time left to conjure it.
The clock is ticking.
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