When Hansi Flick was appointed coach of the German National team, hopes were high in Germany. Fans expected Flick to replicate his Bayern success with the DFB team, but the German failed to replicate the Bayern magic with the national team. Here are some reasons why Flick’s stint in Germany did not live up to the hype.
This is Why Flick’s Club Tactics Failed on The International Stage
The Bayern Approach Did not Work With the National Team
Hansi Flick’s key blueprint of success at Bayern required daily training time and a lot of effort. His Bayern team used to relentlessly press, pass vertically and showed positional fluidity. However, Flick failed to understand that national team management is not like club football.
There is not enough training time with national team and players cannot make daily drills. Therefore Flick could not decide on his tactics in this short period. Thus, the German could not stick to one formation or a specific tactical setup, and this ultimately cost him his job.
Flick’s Struggle to Escape Germany’s Post-2014 Identity Crisis
Hansi Flick was very passionate about leading the Germans to success in the Euros. However, he was unlucky not to inherit a proper team. After Low’s decline after the 2014 World Cup, the DFB team did not develop at all. The team that Flick inherited was more of a broken system.
Other nations, like France, England, and Spain, focused heavily on youth development. But Germany clung to veterans more and did not experiment more. The team had superstars like Kroos, Muller, and Neuer, but it seemed there was just too much technicality and no grit. So, it was a struggle for Flick to use such a team effectively as he used Bayern.
Flick Might Have Relied Too Much on Fading Stars
Hansi Flick’s team relied heavily on veteran stars like Thomas Muller and Gundogan. They are undoubtedly still brilliant players, and their leadership is invaluable. But Flick failed to think that these stars had declined mobility, which hurt Germany’s transition game.
Other talents like Florian Wirtz, Musiala, and Fullkrug were mostly given cameo or substitution roles. While other managers relied on young superstars, Flick showed caution when using youngsters, which was very unlikely of him. This step of his made the German squad’s evolution fixed.
Flick’s Germany was a failure due to half-measures. He could not keep things simple, kept experimenting, and ultimately failed. He inherited a squad with faded superstars and underdeveloped youngsters. So what’s the lesson? Success in club football does not guarantee national team dominance.