Germany sack Hansi Flick as head coach after 4-1 loss to Japan in international friendly
Germany removed Hansi Flick as coach of the men's national football team on Sunday, one day after a 4-1 loss to Japan deepened the gloom around the squad ahead of hosting next year's European Championship.
In Short
- Germany have sacked their head coach ahead of Euro 2024
- Hansi Flick had been the Germany coach since 2021
- Germany had not won a single game in their last 5 matches
On Sunday, following a disheartening 4-1 defeat to Japan, Hansi Flick was relieved of his duties as the coach of Germany's men's national football team. This decision was made in anticipation of the European Championship that Germany will host next year.
In response to this change, the German Football Association (DFB) announced that Rudi V¶ller, the team director, would be one of three coaches jointly overseeing the upcoming friendly match against France on Tuesday in Dortmund.
The German team has been struggling recently, failing to secure a victory in their last five games and suffering an early exit from the group stage in the previous year's World Cup. The team's performance during Saturday's loss in Wolfsburg was met with boos from the home crowd.
Despite the defeat to Japan, Flick, aged 58, expressed his desire to continue coaching the team. This announcement came just hours after he had conducted a public training session with the team, attended by fans.
Flick's tenure as coach began on a high note, with eight consecutive victories. However, these wins were not against any of Europe's top teams. Since then, his record has been less impressive, with only four wins in 17 matches. Flick had previously led Bayern Munich to a Champions League victory in 2020 before transitioning to the German national team the following year.
Ilkay G¼ndogan, the captain of the German team, supported Flick's continuation as coach after the game against Japan. However, he acknowledged the team's lack of unity and confidence.
The temporary coaching team faces a formidable challenge against France. The French team has been in excellent form, winning all five of their Euro 2024 qualifiers without conceding a goal since their penalty shootout loss to Argentina in last year's World Cup final.
Julian Nagelsmann, who succeeded Flick at Bayern before being replaced by Thomas Tuchel in March, is a potential candidate for the permanent coaching position. Following the match against France, Germany's next games are scheduled for October 14th against the United States and October 18th against Mexico.