As Germany gears as much as host the extremely anticipated UEFA Euros subsequent yr, the nation finds itself entangled in a difficult interval, casting doubt on its prospects on the nationwide crew degree.
Once hailed as soccer giants, the “Panzers” have endured a outstanding decline since their triumphant 2014 FIFA World Cup victory, and the finger of blame factors squarely at their coach, Hansi Flick.
The burning query on each German soccer fan’s thoughts is whether or not the nationwide crew can stage a comeback earlier than the championship kicks off.
It is value noting that even earlier than internet hosting the 2006 World Cup, Germany confronted criticism, although not as extreme as at this time.
Yet, they managed to evade sporting disaster on residence turf by reaching the semifinals of the event.
Following their splendid efficiency in Brazil, the place they clinched the 2014 FIFA World Cup and lived as much as their nickname “Panzer,” Germany’s soccer fortunes took a nosedive.
Their hopes had been dashed on the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, the place they limped residence with only one victory within the group stage, which appeared like a mere winner’s curse.
With the tip of Joachim Low’s 15-year reign, the German Football Federation pinned its hopes on Hansi Flick, driving excessive on his successes with Bayern Munich.
However, Flick couldn’t steer the ship away from troubled waters, because the German tank suffered one other setback on the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The event started on a bitter notice with a defeat in opposition to Japan, culminating in a third-place end and a failure to achieve the spherical of 16.
The 2016 European Football Championship noticed Germany attain the semifinals, however in 2020, they had been prematurely despatched packing by England within the spherical of 16, marking Low’s last event on the helm.
Now, with lower than a yr remaining earlier than EURO 2024, Germany’s nationwide crew has sunk to new lows, leading to Hansi Flick’s departure.
The 58-year-old coach, who vowed that “everything would be different in September” after June defeats to Poland and Colombia, couldn’t forestall a dismal 4-1 loss to Japan, marking the primary time in 38 years that the “Panzers” suffered three consecutive defeats.
This unprecedented stoop led to Flick’s historic dismissal, marking the primary time the German Football Federation has ever eliminated a nationwide crew coach.
During Flick’s tenure, Germany managed to safe victories in simply 5 of their final 23 pleasant and official matches, a far cry from their earlier dominance.
Despite experimenting with numerous ways to deal with deficiencies within the wing-backs and ahead line, Flick struggled to yield optimistic outcomes.
In the midfield, Germany boasts a wealth of expertise, together with stars like Joshua Kimmich, Jamal Musiala, and Ilkay Gündoğan.
However, Flick’s selection of wing-backs in pleasant matches in June, equivalent to Marius Wolf, Robin Gosens, David Raum, Jonas Hofmann, and Benjamin Henrichs, raised eyebrows.
Additionally, Flick’s determination to deploy Kai Havertz, extra suited to an attacking midfielder position, in matches in opposition to Colombia, Poland and Japan resulted in criticism.
Following Flick’s departure, Germany confronted France of their first take a look at, with Havertz beginning on the bench.
The determination proved fruitful as Germany secured a 2-1 victory, with Thomas Muller and Havertz himself making vital contributions.
The emergence of gamers like Niclas Fullkrug, who displayed outstanding type within the Bundesliga with Werder Bremen, scoring 16 targets final season and netting in opposition to Spain and Costa Rica within the 2022 World Cup, gives hope for the nationwide crew’s future.
With Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchell’s names surfacing as potential coaches for the upcoming season, Germany will interact in three pleasant matches in October and November, going through the USA on Oct. 14, Mexico on Oct.18, and Austria on Nov. 21.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
