Hansi Flick suddenly speaks unaccustomed plain language: The national coach declares the duel with Spain on Sunday to be a game of fate in which the affiliation of his national team to the top of the world is decided. It's about everything: reputation, standing and the future of German football.
Since 2016, when the German national team reached the semi-finals at the European Championships in France, things simply haven't been going well for the DFB team. In 2018 there will be the Disaster World Cup in Russia with the first preliminary round in the association's history. The national team then rumbles through the Nations League and World Cup qualification (keyword: North Macedonia), only to fail in 2021 at the Corona EM against England of all places in the round of 16.
It's Joachim Löw's last assignment, many like it. Everything should get better under Hansi Flick. And the new national coach also makes an impressive start, winning his first eight games. But then there is not much more presentable - and at the World Cup in Qatar on Sunday after the duel with Spain it could already be the end of the preliminary round again. If the German team weren't among the top 16 teams in the world for the second time in a row, would they still be among the best in the world, where they and the rest of the world see them?
Flick answered this question at the final press conference in Doha with a tough statement: "We'll have to wait for the game on Sunday," says the national coach, increasing the pressure before this epic game, which already feels like the semifinals one piece. "Then we'll know more."
So Flick calls out the game of fate. The game against Spain will be no less. It's about far more than points, it's about reputation and standing. The worldwide recognition of German football. Yes, even about the future and the future direction of German football. If the national team is still among the best in the world, it has to win. In the event of a defeat, one thing is clear to the national coach: From now on, the DFB has to bake smaller rolls. In a squad with Brazil, Argentina, France or Spain - that was once.
Flick is of course as positive as usual in Doha. "We're going to see a team that knows what's at stake," he predicts. "We have our plan and we hope it works tomorrow." They want to approach the groundbreaking duel "positively with courage and faith". Since the bankruptcy against Japan, he and his team have meticulously worked through the many mistakes and will also work on scoring again in the final training session. "The players want and can implement what they have learned, we are absolutely convinced of the idea of how we want to play," explains the national coach, who also questioned himself and his team after the defeat at the start.
Much can never be read from Hansi Flick's gestures and facial expressions. This time, too, he remains calm and confident on the outside. But the national coach knows exactly how much is at stake. This shows his assessment of belonging to the top of the world. To which Germany may only belong until tomorrow evening.
