Coach Hans Flick began his stint with the Germany national football team in 2021 with a string of eight consecutive victories and promised the fans to put the four-time world champions back on track.
But after a surprise loss on Tuesday at home to Colombia 2-0, it seems that Flick has exhausted almost all of his credit, as Germany, the hosts of the European Championship 2024, lost to Poland and drew 3-3 against Ukraine in their three international matches this month.
German media asked in online opinion polls today, Wednesday, “Is Flick the right man for the job?”
“A year before the European Championship, it seems that the coach and his team have lost their way,” Kicker magazine wrote in a commentary.
Germany, who had less than a year to build a strong team for the continental championship and boost the enthusiasm in the country, needed two late goals to draw with Ukraine before losing 1-0 on Friday in Warsaw.
The poor performance made matters worse against Colombia in Gelsenkirchen, where Flick’s players lacked speed and attacking ferocity.
Germany have won just one of their last five matches since their shock group stage exit at the World Cup in December. It has also won only three of its last 11 matches.
When Flick took charge two years ago, Germany had just suffered a round-of-16 exit to the European Championships in 2021 after being knocked out in the first round of the World Cup for the first time in more than 80 years in 2018.
Flick seemed to be the ideal man for this position after winning six titles with Bayern Munich in 2020 and working for years with his German predecessor, Joachim Loew, as an assistant coach, as he won the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
But his back is now against the wall, despite his assurances that the team will be completely different in the next international matches in September.
“We will see a different team,” Flick said.
“We will work on stabilizing and developing the team. We are optimistic in September because we have a good team.”
Germany hosts Japan on September 9 before playing France three days later. It will then head to North America to face the United States on October 14.
However, German fans are quickly losing patience with the lack of any visible signs of improvement in recent months.
Kicker magazine said, “Flick’s announcement that things will be different in September seems just a morale-boosting remark.”
And the countdown has begun for the European Championship that will be held next year, and perhaps also for the future of Flick, who German football fans are waiting for to correct course by September.