AThey start at the beginning of the week. The entourage of the German Football Association (DFB), which is on the way to Qatar, is led by Hans-Dieter “Hansi” Flick. The national coach is accompanied by his assistants Markus Sorg and Dany Röhl, team manager Benedikt Höwedes as well as Oliver Bierhoff, director of national teams, and Thomas Beheshti, head of the national team’s office.
About a year before the World Cup, which begins on November 21, 2022 and will therefore be held for the first time in winter, the men want to check the situation on site. The choice of the World Cup location has top priority.
Three or four hotel complexes will be presented to Flick on the trip. He should then make a preselection. Whether the DFB will then also get the contract for the selected system from the world association Fifa will not be decided until April, when the preliminary round groups are drawn. “It is important for us that we have short distances to the training ground and not have to drive that far,” said Flick during a virtual media round on Thursday, which Oliver Bierhoff was also present.
Overall, the national coach added, the atmosphere must be right and good. He had good experiences with Bayern, for whom he was head coach from December 2019 until last summer, both in a training camp and at the Club World Cup in Qatar.
Flick with coaching team in England
Both Flick and Bierhoff made it clear that they have the debate about the violation of human rights in Qatar on the piece of paper. You knew, they said in unison, that this was an issue and that it was important to discuss it. Bierhoff, for example, referred in this context to the debate that would be intensifying again these days with regard to Beijing, the location of the Winter Olympics in February of next year. According to Bierhoff, there is an exchange with organizations such as “Human Rights Watch” or “Transparency International”. A boycott of the tournament, said Bierhoff, was out of the question.
This has already been given to understand. “We want to give the tournament a chance, but we also don’t want to run into it blindly. It would be naive to think that we are not concerned with this topic. We are constantly discussing it, ”said Bierhoff. The goal, however, is for the coach and the team to focus on sport and not open the flank too much.
“What I can promise,” added national coach Flick, “we will be well prepared. Not just sporty, but also in these areas. At Bayern Munich you could see “how important it is to the fan”. The 56-year-old referred to the turbulent annual general meeting of his former employer, at which the Qatar sponsorship of the Munich-based company was heavily discussed.
In the run-up to the meeting, which was finally canceled, club member Michael Ott had submitted a motion to vote on the end of the sponsorship. The club had not approved the application. Two days after the meeting, however, Herbert Hainer, the President, phoned Ott and offered a personal interview.
Schützenfest against Liechtenstein: In the 9-0 of the German national team in early November, Thomas Müller (2nd from left) scored 6-0 in the meantime in Wolfsburg
Source: pa / dpa / Swen gatekeeper
Hansi Flick also had a few talks last week. He stayed in England with his coaching team. They watched games in the Premier League, exchanged ideas with coaches and their national players on site, such as Ilkay Gündogan (Manchester City) or Timo Werner, Kai Havertz and Toni Rüdiger, all of whom are under contract with FC Chelsea.
Compared to the Bundesliga, said Flick, the Premier League is in a different category. Not only is the atmosphere in the stands very good there, the quality on the pitch is also very good. The trip to England was “a kind of further training”. The added value, according to Flick, is great. Because one looked not only at the top clubs, but also at clubs such as Brentford FC or Leeds United – “with coaches”, according to Flick, “who have a different quality or philosophy”.
“We like the quality”
When it comes to the quality of his team, Flick is positive. Especially since the record since he took office in the summer is impressive: seven games, seven wins, 31-2 goals. Knowing full well that there was no strong nation among the opponents, the national coach, who had followed Joachim Löw, praised the development in recent months. “We like the quality we coaches see,” said Flick, referring to the game in Armenia in mid-November.
In the game that Germany won 4-1, eleven or twelve players would have been missing who would normally have been there if they hadn’t been injured, had to be out due to the corona or had been spared. “Still, we played well. Players who otherwise might not have been there did their job well. So we know we have good alternatives. But we also know that we still have a lot of work to do, ”said Flick.
According to Flick, the roster would currently consist of 30 to 35 players. The national coach reported that people are currently on the road a lot and keep their eyes and ears open to discover or filter out future national players. “Everyone is welcome,” said the national coach and let them know that when it comes to acquisitions, they are not only looking at the 2022 World Cup, but also the 2024 European Championship at home.
The national coach raved about the national team and praised the good character of the players. They would all be very performance-oriented. “The door is open to everyone,” emphasized Flick and also did the same with regard to Jerome Boateng (Olympique Lyon) and Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund). The 2014 world champions were last not considered by Flick. But one is in exchange.
In March, when two test matches are due, Flick will be able to work with his players again. The opponents have not yet been determined. What is certain, however, is that the national coach will keep in touch with his players until then. Like the exchange with the club coaches, it is good and lively.
Video footage for the players
Since there won’t be too many international trips on the way to Qatar, on which things can be rehearsed in training units – in June there are four games in the Nations League, in September there are two more – Flick and his coaching team will also be the players Supply video material. Because it is good, according to Flick, if everyone knows “how to move, occupy certain spaces and behave when passing a pass”. The little time that you have on international trips must then be used “to rehearse things and make them more precise”.
Hansi Flick is in good spirits – not only for his team, but also for German football itself. He would wish if there were more teams at the top of the Bundesliga besides Bayern. But he has the feeling, according to Flick, that some clubs are developing very well. He highlighted Bayer Leverkusen, also referred to 1. FC Union, which would look very solid, and SC Freiburg, where young players could mature.
The national coach explicitly highlighted Nico Schlotterbeck, the central defender. Flick had appointed him to the national team for the first time in the fall. Schlotterbeck, according to Flick, was very self-confident. He liked that.
It remains to be seen whether Flick will also enjoy the quarters he is visiting in Qatar next week. He will spend the Christmas party following the trip at home in Bammenthal, a small community in the Rhein-Neckar district. On Christmas Eve, he announced, he and his wife have in-laws, mother, children and grandchildren as guests. He would always enjoy it. Like the day after, “which I will spend in peace on the couch”.
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