Interview with Hansi Flick: “It’s not my mentality”

When we talk about problematic positions in German football, we talk about full-backs and forwards for so long. But if we look at last year, don’t we have a different problem?

Which? sixes?

Yes, or let’s put it this way: midfield players who think defensively, who provide stability.

If we look at Dortmund, for example, then Emre Can was a stabilizer who thought about defense in the second half of the season. This is the development we also hoped for.

His development was good, but he wasn’t even in the World Cup, he came on as a substitute in the 2-3 win over Belgium, and now he’s irreplaceable?

He has good charisma, good speed, good physical shape. He can also be a leader. Even before the World Cup, we had the idea to take him with us. But in Dortmund, he did not play enough matches, so we made a different decision. But I already told him: if he plays more, he will have a chance again. Now he has used it – and we hope that he can confirm this with us. But this also always applies to players who are confident in their abilities. And our job is to provide that confidence to the players.

Isn’t the main conclusion of the World Cup that in the end, despite all the possibilities, the necessary stability was not enough?

When we talk about the World Cup, we have to take into account many things, but I don’t want to do that anymore. Just like this: We didn’t live up to expectations. We allowed too many chances – also because there was no stability in defense and against the ball. For us, this means: we have to make a difference – and at the same time, gain trust again. But our idea of ​​how we want to play football is offensive. This is also what we have set for ourselves now. More stability and at the same time more determination.

The last impression from the 2:3 match with Belgium was again the lack of stability.

We didn’t put any pressure on the ball, that’s true. If you don’t have access against such a strong team, you will be in trouble. As the gate fell, it must not fall.


“He has good charisma, good speed, good physical shape”: Flick praises Emre Can (center)
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Image: dpa

But they, too, were unexpectedly nominated in March, and as a result, there were almost no central defenders left in the squad. You can call it bold, but maybe a little optimistic…

We played with Matze Ginter and Thilo Kehrer in the center of defense. In fact, this should be enough, these are experienced players with excellent quality. But you noticed that we had practically no training in the team, so we have to put up with it. The Players Lounge, where we show players personalized content, can do a lot, but nothing can replace training on the pitch.

Didn’t the players say to each other: oh, I’m going to skip my homework now?

No, it’s always been great. But it just didn’t work, especially in a defensive manner. It is all the more important that we quickly develop stability now.

What does this mean specifically for the constellation in the center?

If you look at the squad against Ukraine, Poland and Colombia, you will see that we have chosen a lot of central defenders. We will play with three backs and six in front. But, as I said, the idea is to play actively and attackingly. We want to put pressure on our opponents and in this system we will always have at least six players who are mostly attacking.

Source: Frantfurter Allgemeine

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