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Friendly and unsuccessful: national coach Hansi Flick
Photo: KAI PFAFFENBACH / REUTERS
Yesterday a major German newspaper asked if Hansi Flick was too nice.
In German football there is still the spectacular misunderstanding that you have to be particularly uncouth to be successful.
At some point, an ex-professional shaken by a smoker's cough always appears, falls out of some pub and barks into a microphone that "real guys" are needed again.
I like the warmth of Hansi Flick, his manners.
There are too many rude people walking around in this country who take a bad mood as their trademark.
It's not that common in Germany, but you can be friendly and very tough at the same time.
The ideal image is the straddling gentleman.
A phenomenon from a country that has a lot ahead of us culturally: England.
Politeness and intellectual toughness prevail in the British Parliament.
In Germany, politicians snap at each other in a moderately friendly and moderately convincing manner.
It's almost as if one is desperately looking for an explanation for Germany's failure to avoid the obvious explanation: Germany just isn't good enough.
It's not enough for the world.
I think getting better is a solution.
Rather not become unfriendly.
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