Nfter the 0-1 international match against Poland, Rudi Völler left the stadium in Warsaw without further comment. The day after the renewed setback, the sporting director of the German national soccer team spoke to this editorial team about the current phase of weakness in the DFB selection.
Völler commented on the criticism of national coach Hansi Flick and a possible return of deserving players like Thomas Müller in the circle of the German team.
Ask: Mr Völler, you left the stadium without comment and with your head bowed after the 1-0 loss to Poland. Did you have to deal with the defeat first?
Rudi Voeller: That’s completely normal after a defeat. After the 3-3 win against Ukraine, we had planned to play a good game in Poland. Unfortunately, we only managed to do that in the second half. You have to say quite clearly about the first 45 minutes: That was disappointing.
Ask: ARD expert Bastian Schweinsteiger said that this might now be our actual level of performance and that we need to lower our expectations. Are we really no better than Ukraine or Poland?
Voller: The Poles basically only had two shots on target. And they had an excellent goalkeeper. We were clearly the better team in the second half and played for one goal. We know ourselves that we didn’t call up our level over the full 90 minutes. In the end we didn’t have the will to push the ball over the line. But what makes me really optimistic: I see here how passionately Hansi Flick works to improve things.
Völler strengthens national coach Hansi Flick’s back
Quelle: AP/Czarek Sokolowski
Ask: After the eleventh game without a win in the Flick era, is there internal discussion at the DFB as to whether he is the right national coach for the home European Championship?
Voller: I’ve been in business for a long time. I also understand the disappointment of the fans and the general public. There is currently a headwind that only we can turn into a tailwind through good performances and victories. Hansi Flick is an absolute top trainer and the right person for this task. He will decide things in such a way that we can play a good European Championship in Germany. But I admit that at the moment we are not able to create the euphoria for the home tournament as we had planned.
Ask: How often can Hansi Flick still lose before a coaching discussion is held?
Voller: Once again: Hansi Flick is absolutely the right coach for this team.
Ask: According to polls, fans are already losing patience.
Voller: I understand the skepticism. But we will use the time as planned to try and test certain things. I totally support that. For me, Malick Thiaw is the best example of this. Without the rotation in the three friendlies, he might not have had the chance to show what quality he has. Against Poland he was able to prove that he doesn’t play for AC Milan for nothing. He showed that he can be very valuable for us at the European Championship.
Ask: How important is a win in the upcoming game in Gelsenkirchen against Colombia to calm the mood in the country?
Voller: It’s clear to us that we’ll have to do everything we can against Colombia to finally celebrate a sense of achievement again. That’s what we all want, team and fans alike. Hansi will find the right line-up so the team can show what they’re made of.
Ask: Do you also support the fact that the team cannot get used to a system through changes – such as from a back four to a back three – in order to finally get security?
Voller: Of course, the closer the European Championship gets, we have to get used to it. But we’re still a year away from the European Championships, so there’s still a lot of time. I am convinced that in the internationals in September and October we will see more of the face of the team that we will see at our home tournament in 2024.
Ask: World champion Thomas Müller was a defining figure in FC Bayern’s title win last season. When does the national team have to decide on the Müller question?
Voller: I know that Hansi Flick is in contact with Thomas Müller and other players who are not there this time. Thomas and Hansi have celebrated great successes together at Bayern. If anyone knows when the right time to nominate Thomas Müller is Hansi. It is true that Thomas can also be a topic for the European Championship.
The item was written for the sports competence center (WELT, SPORT BILD, BILD) and first published in BILD.