German national team coach Hansi Flick is unsure whether he will continue in his position following Germany’s heartbreaking exit at the group stages of the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar. The former Bayern Munich manager had taken the reins of the national team in 2021, replacing his former boss Joachim Low.
German football has come to a bit of a standstill at the moment. Following the highs of winning the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil after beating Argentina 1-0 in the final, Die Mannschaft have lost their way and have been quite underwhelming in international competitions.
Nowhere has it been more apparent than in the prestigious FIFA World Cup, where they were knocked out of the group stages for the second edition running. Germany had failed to qualify beyond their group despite entering Russia 2018 as the defending champions, following the shock loss to South Korea.
In Qatar, another Asian country has proven to be their nightmare. Flick’s men suffered a major setback in their World Cup opener when they were played out of the park by Japan in the second half, and that loss virtually sealed their exit.
Despite defeating Costa Rica 4-2 after a pulsating encounter that saw them coming from behind in the second half, Germany were knocked out of the World Cup after Japan also secured a similar 2-1 scoreline over Spain, as they had against Germany, and took pole position in Group E.
Following their exit, there have been calls for Flick to be sacked as head coach. The 57-year-old responded to those rumours in the press conference after the game and told the media:
“We’ll work that out quickly, it’s difficult to answer now right after the game when we’re eliminated. We’ll see about that soon.”
However, before the game, Flick had maintained the stance that he wasn’t going to resign even if Germany failed to progress to the knockout stages. He maintained that he wants to lead the side at the UEFA Euro 2024 and beyond.
“I can only confirm the future from my side – that I have a contract until 2024 and that I am looking forward to the European Championships at home.
I don’t feel any pressure – and I didn’t feel any pressure after the defeat to Japan. We didn’t have much time before the tournament and the longer we’re together the more we improve.”
