National team: “Have to deliver”: National players also play for Flick

Things didn’t start well for Hansi Flick again. In bright sunshine, the national coach announced at the national team’s first training session in Wolfsburg before the reunion with World Cup terror Japan that Niclas Füllkrug would have to leave again.

So this Saturday (8.45 p.m. / RTL) in the important mood test against Japan, others have to score the goals. And Flick urgently needs goals in this crisis in German football, which now goes far beyond the DFB selection.

“The senior national team, the U21s, the women – unfortunately all of this seems rather negative at the moment,” said sporting director Rudi Völler in an interview with the editorial network Germany. On Tuesday, the former team boss spent a long time conferring with Flick and the injured Neu-Dortmunder Füllkrug on the side square of the Wolfsburg stadium before retiring to the shade. The mood seemed good – and yet everything depends on the games against the unpredictable Japanese and the runner-up France on Tuesday next week in Dortmund.

Announcement by Gosens

“We know exactly what’s at stake. We also owe the coach a bit because we’re the ones who have to go on the pitch and get the results,” said winger Robin Gosens. “We definitely want to do that now, first against Japan, then against France.” Everyone is aware of the seriousness of the situation, assured the 29-year-old and promised: “We have to deliver and we will do it!” Newcomer Pascal Groß sat next to Gosens and said he was “trying to bring a lot of energy and positivity to the team”. He hopes “that we can play successfully”.

Flick’s weak national team as a prime example was recently included in the discussion about the alleged lack of motivation among young people and in society in general. While others talked about the reform of the national youth games, the controversial ex-DFB sports director Matthias Sammer spoke in the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” about the “biggest crisis that German football has experienced in the recent past”. The status quo: “We are on the ground.”

When Sammer says things like that, Völler and Flick are asked about it. “I’m in contact with Matthias, he’s often very direct with his statements, sometimes he deliberately exaggerates. But: he’s right about a lot of things!” said Völler. He sits with Sammer in the currently worryingly inconclusive task force of the German Football Association (DFB), which should clean up after the World Cup. Sammer “burns for the cause,” said Flick: “It’s not always convenient, but it’s always good to have such a critical mind with you.”

Failed experimental phase

Dealing with the criticism had made up a large part of Flick’s not easy national coaching work in the past few weeks. After the failed experimental phase in June with three flop games, there has now been “a turning point”. “A new phase has begun,” said Flick, who had already nominated Thomas Müller as a precaution because of Füllkrug’s thigh problems. The Bayern professional was right back in the middle of the first training session. At the meeting point on Monday in the team hotel, the 2014 world champion was the only one to whom some fans dedicated colorful posters.

It is questionable whether Müller will play against Japan immediately. Flick had announced that he finally wanted to find his “core team” for the European Championships at home next year. Arsenal professional Kai Havertz is more likely to start in the filling jug position. The 24-year-old can also score goals. In the 1-2 shock against Japan a good nine months ago at the World Cup, only Ilkay Gündogan had scored, and that with a penalty.

In the event of another defeat against the squad for the accurate Bundesliga professional Takuma Asano from VfL Bochum, Flick expects a stormy three days until the France game. Dealing with a possible exit from the DFB is “not a good advisor,” said the 58-year-old national coach: “I can’t go to the games like that!”