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Hans-Dieter Flick willingly provides information about the past. Smiling, for example, he talks about the fact that the contract negotiations "relatively quickly done" were when Uli Hoeneß called, in 1984 to lure him from SV Sandhausen to Bayern. This is a bit different with information about the future.
"The future, that's after Saturday," said the 54-year-old on Friday afternoon. In other words, on Saturday after the Bundesliga top match against Borussia Dortmund (Saturday, 18.30 clock, live ticker SPIEGEL ONLINE, TV: Sky) there is a kind of new present. And before that, it makes no sense to treat the boss topic with him. "Bayern, who will make his decisions," said Flick when asked if his status could change from interim to head coach.
Alexander Hassenstein / POOL / AFP
Present coach: Hans-Dieter Flick
At the moment, it can be assumed that at the beginning of next week any contract changes will be "done relatively quickly". After all that has happened in the past few days, the scenario looks like this shortly before the game-changing game: Flick is in the mood for the lead role. And if he and the starting line-up he chooses do not completely scare off the club's superiors, he will be allowed to take on responsibility for longer. Until the winter break, maybe even until the summer.
Flick is allowed to calculate chances
Currently Flick has been signaled that he can calculate chances. Compared to Sunday, when Niko Kovac after long discussions but still stepped back or maybe was rather gone, the candidate field has namely significantly reduced: Ralf Rangnick has canceled, Arsène Wenger was quite clearly told that he would not even bring into conversation have to. The discussion about other, currently club-free coaches that were available, has noticeably faded since the victory against Olympiacos Piraeus, even if this success came along quite plainly and was actually taken for granted.
Hoeness had said nothing after that 2-0 victory, but he indicated that he was in a good mood. Flick himself, but also sports director Hasan Salihamidzic, praised the defensive stability against the Greek outsider. "I did not quite understand," the present coach said about the whistles in the stadium and the negative coverage. After all, he had given a clear order on the way, and this was not just: fireworks. Of course, the Munich audience was "well spoiled in recent years" with offensive spectacle. But to come back, that's not "from one day to the next". Defensive stability is the first priority.
And so Flick is trying these days mainly for normalcy. That players like Philippe Coutinho and Thiago, who sat against Piraeus on the bench, are angry? "Normal." That the fans expect more goals? "Normal."
Spectacle? Why, even if service goes by the rule
The longtime assistant coach Flick, who was head coach of then third division TSG Hoffenheim until 2005, does not sound like he's playing poker and "all in". Of course, if you can achieve your goals with much less risk.
An example of his deliberation is curiously the use of a youngster, to whom he assigns an important role in the back four: Alphonso Davies had done well as a left-back, praised Flick on Wednesday night. Offensive was indeed "still air up" had been. But actually the 19-year-old Canadian, who scored an own goal in the DFB Cup at VfL Bochum, had primarily implemented the requirements.
AFP
Get the confidence against Piraeus: Alphonso Davies
There are no more than two options: After the game against Dortmund Bayern will be satisfied with Flick's work - or not. In the second case, CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Salihamidzic are again under pressure of time, even though the international break somewhat increases the room for maneuver. But if they are satisfied, everything looks like a medium-term commitment. Candidates like Erik ten Hag or Thomas Tuchel might be interested in coming to Munich from next summer on.
But whether a successful head coach Flick could imagine being an interim coach for seven months? That's too much future for the moment.
