Highlights:
- Hansi Flick was re-elected to his position as head coach of the German national football team by the German Football Federation (DFB).
- Despite Germany’s early exit from Qatar in 2024 Euros, the decision to give Coach Flick the reins of the team was made on Wednesday.
- In Qatar, the German team was placed in a group with Spain, Japan, and Costa Rica, and they could not advance out of that group.
In spite of Germany’s lacklustre performance in the World Cup, the German Football Federation (DFB) decided on Wednesday to continue having Hansi Flick serve as the head coach of the national team.
Bernd Neuendorf, the president of the German Soccer Federation, stated that the organisation has full faith in Flick to guide the team through the 2024 European Championship, which Germany is arranged to host. Neuendorf characterised the event as a fantastic opportunity for the development of football in the country.
After Germany’s early departure from the World Cup, which marked their third consecutive dismal performance at a major event, Flick entered Wednesday’s session with Neuendorf and federation vice president Hans-Joachim Watzke under a great deal of strain.
Flick walked out of the session without saying a word, although he was afterwards mentioned in a statement issued by the federation. Flick said that he has trust in the direction Neuendorf and Watzke have decided to go for Euro 2024 and that he is positive about the event itself.
Flick, who was criticised for his selection policy and strategies against group opponents Japan, Spain, and Costa Rica in Qatar, said that “we want every one of Germany to gather behind the national squad once more at the 2024 European Championship at home.” Flick was the head coach of the German national team.
Germany failed to advance to the knockout phase because of defensive blunders, including the fact that Flick was unable to decide on his preferred back four, and a failure to capitalise on scoring opportunities.
Prior to the competition, Germany’s record under Flick’s direction was similarly dismal. Joachim Low was replaced by the former Bayern Munich head coach after Germany was eliminated in the round of 16 at the European Championship in 2018. Low’s contract with Germany extends until the Euro 2024 tournament.
Oliver Bierhoff’s 18-year tenure as managing director of Germany’s national soccer teams and academy came to an end on Monday when he decided to leave his position. The German Soccer Federation is currently searching for Oliver Bierhoff’s successor.
Germany was eliminated in the group round of the World Cup in Qatar, making it the team’s second consecutive dismal defeat in the sport’s most prestigious competition. So far, only Bierhoff has been injured in the process.
At the 2018 World Cup, defending champion Germany was also ousted from the competition at the same time as other teams.
When Flick said on Tuesday that both the team is having a hard time thinking how the void created by Oliver’s departure might be bridged, it gave the impression that Flick was criticising the federation for Bierhoff’s resignation.
Later on Wednesday, the German football league (DFL) announced that the chief executive Donata Hopfen will step down from her position by the end of the current month. The league and Hopfen agreed to terminate the remaining time on her three-year contract to accommodate their “conflicting opinions about the further direction of the organization,” according to the DFL.
The deal with Hopfen will remain in effect until 2024. In October, she was asked about the amount of support she was receiving from league members, and she told Kicker magazine that there is always space for more.