Germany part ways with coach Flick after bad run-German FA

BERLIN: Germany parted ways with coach Hansi Flick on Sunday (Sep 10), a day after their 4-1 home loss to Japan in a friendly match with the four-time world champions struggling for form ahead of the Euro 2024 tournament on home soil, the German Football Association (DFB) said.

The decision comes as no real surprise with Germany having crashed out of last year's World Cup early and their mediocre performances in recent months did nothing to convince the federation officials that the team could be successful next year on home soil.

Flick, assistant coach to his predecessor Joachim Loew when Germany won the World Cup in 2014, took over in 2021 but his team have managed four wins in their last 17 internationals, and they were also eliminated in the group stage of the 2022 World Cup.

They lost four of their five most recent matches, including the last three.

"The bodies (of the DFB) shared the same view that the national team now needs a new impulse," DFB President Bernd Neuendorf said in a statement. "With next year's Euro in sight we need enthusiastic mood and confidence."

Germany do not need to qualify for the Euros but have shown no sign of improvement following last year's shock World Cup exit, and with German fans quickly running out of patience with their poor form, the DFB thought it was time to act.

Germany are three-time European champions but have now been eliminated early in three consecutive tournaments, including two World Cups and the Euro held in 2021.

Under Flick the team lacked energy and power, while also struggling throughout with a leaking defence as well as poor conversion rate up front.

The DFB's sports director Rudi Voller will be in charge of their friendly against 2022 World Cup finalists France on Tuesday