Bayern Munich coach ignores a wish for next season, because he seems to be on his way to the team's lines • Tonight he will try to make a comeback in Paris and qualify for the Champions League semi-finals
Hansy Flick.
When will he announce his future?
Photo:
Reuters
"We are in first place in the Bundesliga, with a seven-point advantage (which was reduced to five at the weekend; DH), and even though we lost 3: 2 to PSG - we still have a chance to reach the Champions League semi-finals.
We need to calm down quickly and concentrate on the things that really matter. "
These words were said last week by Karl Heinz Rummenigge, CEO of Bayern Munich, and can certainly be understood.
Last season his team made history when they won six titles, and this season too is on its way to the German championship and can still defend its European title if it turns the result against the French champions despite the absence of Robert Lewandowski.
On the face of it, there is no real cause for panic, but beneath the surface Bayern is turbulent, tumultuous and uneasy.
The reason - the future of Hansy Flick.
A combination of several recent events has led to the successful coach failing to convince himself that he intends to continue next season as well.
When asked about it before the league game against Union Berlin (1: 1), he replied: "The next question".
When the same question was addressed to Thomas Müller, the captain replied: "I will imitate my coach and tell you - the next question."
As can be understood, the future of the coach, who holds a contract until 2023, is an issue that silence is good for him these days.
And that's exactly why there is a real fear among the team's fans that Flick will indeed leave when this season ends, and Bayern will have to find a new coach who will try to meet the tremendous standards that Flick has set in the last 18 months.
The interesting question of course is what happened?
Well, what broke the silence was the announcement of the departure of German national team coach Joachim Lev at the end of the upcoming Euro.
Flick, who was Lev's assistant in winning the World Cup in 2014 and the most successful German coach of all in the last year, has become the natural candidate to succeed him.
The Bayern coach has been asked about this possibility many times, but has never answered emphatically that he has stayed at Bayern and is not interested in the national role.
What has Boateng got to do with it?
This matter was added to the main story: his murky relationship with the management, and especially with the sporting director Hassan Salihmidic.
There are disagreements between the two that began as early as last year regarding staff building and procurement policy.
Recently, the decision of the former Bosnian player to release Jerome Boateng and David Alaba was against the wishes of Flick, one of Boateng's big fans, and when the coach was asked about it after the loss to PSG, he did not respond and said that sometimes a coach should be an "actor" .
"I think he will leave because he's tired of Salahimidzic," the president of one of Bayern's fan organizations told the DW, and he was not alone.
Many fans fear that this will indeed happen, regardless of the result of tonight's game (22:00).
Another issue to consider is Flick's employment history.
Although he worked for a long time as an assistant in the German team (2014-2006) and as a coach at Hoffenheim (2005-2000), he had several jobs from which he cut earlier than expected.
Salzburg lasted only a few months (2006), leaving the team in 2017 even though he was under contract, and then appointed professional manager at Hoffenheim, a position he left after eight months to return to his hometown and oversee the sports shop he owns.
Flick has a contract until 2023 at Bayern, and apparently there is no reason to leave when another championship is approaching and the Champions League is still an option.
However, the rumor mill and articles have started to work, and sometimes they know best what the future holds.
Tonight in the Champions League: With a 0: 2 advantage from the first game, Chelsea will host Porto in the rematch that will also take place at Ramon Sanchez Pijuan in Sevilla.
Thomas has a full roster, and is expected to make some lineup changes.
Porto will get back the heroes of the quarterfinals, Sergio Oliveira and Mehdi Termi, who have finished wanting suspension.
