Why Flick got the flick: The reason Germany sacked their head coach

That was too much

The catastrophic 4-1 defeat against Japan was too much! The German Football Association (DFB) fired national coach Hansi Flick on Sunday, September 10th.

Rudi Völler's change of mind

Rudi Völler posted on the DFB website: "The Japan game clearly showed us that we can't get any further in this constellation." According to information from the Bild newspaper, however, he is said to have campaigned for it shortly before – not between the international matches – to dismiss Flick.

What do the players say?

So far, only DFB captain Ilkay Gündogan (pictured right) has spoken out. He thanked Flick on Instagram: "Thank you for the time together, the mutual appreciation and the cooperation, Hansi. You are a great person & coach – it is a great shame that we as a team could not repay your great trust in us!"

Shortly after training

A few hours before the release was announced, Flick conducted a public training session with the national team.

Did he know?

According to Sport Bild, Flick is said to have said the following to fans: "I'll keep fighting, but little is predictable in the football business." That could be interpreted as foreshadowing.

Too many defeats

It was not really surprising that the national coach's chair wobbled after the many defeats. Only 4 wins in the last 17 games, a botched World Cup, then the embarrassment against Japan. Nobody was happy with that.

The career of Hansi Flick

The former FC Bayern coach was born in Heidelberg in 1965 and won seven titles with the club in 19 months. That's probably why he became national coach in 2021.

Right decision at the wrong time?

The DFB has been criticized for the timing of the sacking. The reason: the decision came exactly when the DBB team secured the world title in the final of the Basketball World Cup against Serbia (83 – 77).

Stole the show

"The basketball players show everything that the national soccer team is currently missing. Just in the last minutes of the thrilling basketball final (pictured), the DFB sent the message that Hansi Flick had been released," commented presenter Marietta Slomka on ZDF: "Perhaps not what one would describe as a feeling for sporting timing." That's Slomka's conclusion.

National coach wanted

For the international match on Tuesday, September 12, DFB sporting director Rudi Völler will take over. Several names have been thrown out as successors to Flick: Julian Nagelsmann, Oliver Glasner, Louis van Gaal, and Matthias Sammer. We'll have to wait and see how that pans out.