What has happened to Germany? A perennial European and global powerhouse, four-time World Cup winner, and three-time European champion are in the midst of turbulent waters during the Hansi Flick era as head Bundestrainer after Die Mannschaft yet another defeat under his tenure in a 2-0 loss against Colombia in Gelsenkirchen.
Goals from Liverpool star Luis Díaz and veteran Juventus winger Juan Cuadrado dispatched Flick’s troops in the Ruhr Valley in what was the nation’s third successive loss under the command of Joachim Löw’s most prominent disciple.
It was another massively disappointing performance across ninety minutes of action, Germany maintained the lion’s share of possession but once again looked flaccid going forward and susceptible to being ruthlessly exposed on the counter, which came through in the match metrics that showed Colombia creating nearly three times the overall chances as well as three big chances to Germany’s zero despite only having 38% of the ball.
These hallmarks of mediocrity (and that is being generous) have been on display for some time under Flick, whose side performed poorly during the 2022 Nation’s League while following up that campaign with worrisome preparations for the World Cup in Qatar before ultimately crashing out of the group stage for consecutive tournaments for the first time in their history.
German media opinion pieces already out calling for Rudi Völler to act & dismiss Hansi Flick as Bundestrainer with the home Euro less than a year away. Julian Nagelsmann (who succeeded Flick at Bayern) mentioned as a possible alternative.
— Derek Rae (@RaeComm) June 20, 2023
What was once maligned as just a blip on the radar screen has clearly become a harsh reality that many are now coming to terms with, with reports now pointing to calls for DFB director Rudi Völler to dismiss Flick at the earliest convenience considering Germany has less than a year to prepare to host Euro 2024.
The Flick era should be over after tonight. With Euro 2024 just one year away it is time to press the reset button.
A new head coach and a new leadership at the DFB needs to come in now.
— Manuel Veth (@ManuelVeth) June 20, 2023
The name most heavily linked to replacing Flick is none other than Julian Nagelsmann, who was his former successor at Bayern Munich before Flick took up his post on the national team touchline.
It remains unclear if the managerial prodigy wants to leave club football already given the youthful nature of his managerial career, but given Germany’s desire to have a German in charge, and the fact that Jürgen Klopp remains appropriately tethered to Liverpool, Nagelsmann seems the only sensible option that is currently available.
Regardless of what the DFB decides, it seems evident that Flick is unable to translate his success at Bayern to the international stage despite the wealth of talent Germany has at its disposal in key areas of the pitch. Something must change if they are to once again restore their status on both the continental and global landscapes.
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