Germany According to legend Lothar Matthaus, the German Football Association (DFB) could use Director Rudi Voller as interim coach to lead the team until the end of Euro 2024 at home, then seek to appoint Jurgen Klopp.
After firing Hansi Flick, while waiting for the DFB to appoint a new head coach, the German team will use a temporary coaching staff to prepare for the friendly match against France at home stadium Westfalen, Dortmund on September 12. This group has three members, including DFB Director Rudi Voller - who led the team to the runner-up position at the 2002 World Cup, U20 coach Hannes Wolf, and 35-year-old former striker and former national team player Sandro Wagner.
Voller talks with Thomas Muller at the German national team training ground before the friendly match against Japan on September 9. Photo: imago
According to Matthaus - the record holder for Germany with 150 appearances, if Germany achieves a good result against France, Voller could be the interim coach until the end of Euro 2024 held at home. The 62-year-old player believes that Voller has a good relationship with the players and can decide for himself whether to continue sitting in the "hot seat" of the German team. He also assessed Wolf and Wagner as two suitable assistants for Voller.
"I don't think those in charge would object to Voller continuing to lead the team," Matthaus was quoted as saying by sports magazine Kicker in an interview at the football museum in Dortmund on September 11. "In general, if the atmosphere is right and the results are right, it hardly matters who is the coach of the German national team."
According to Matthaus, the DFB should then look to appoint Jurgen Klopp. In January 2023, Klopp left open the possibility of leading the German national team if he leaves Liverpool. But the problem with this deal is that Klopp still has a contract with Liverpool until the summer of 2026, and the DFB would have to pay a large fee to break the contract and appoint the 56-year-old coach to lead his homeland team.
Klopp currently has a contract with Liverpool until 2026, and the DFB will have to compensate him if they want to invite him to take charge of the German national team from the summer of 2024. Photo: Reuters
Matthaus also revealed that Matthias Sammer is ready to be Germany's interim coach until Euro 2024. Sammer is a former centre-back who won the 1996 Ballon d'Or, led Dortmund to the 2002 Bundesliga championship before serving as the DFB's technical director from 2006-2011.
But regardless of the specific personnel decisions, Matthaus stressed that the new coach must foster unity in the dressing room. Flick – with whom Matthaus has had a friendly relationship for 40 years – failed to do that.
The release of the four-part documentary "All or Nothing" last week exposed the dire crisis within the national team heading into the 2022 World Cup. The Amazon series captured Antonio Rudiger and Joshua Kimmich arguing bitterly on the training pitch, Flick warning his players that they were not getting enough support from home fans, while Leon Goretzka complained about the difficulties of playing in Qatar.
The series also showed a lack of discipline when Julian Brandt arrived late to a tactical meeting without being reprimanded, in addition to his controversial act - posing with his hand over his mouth, in protest of the captain being banned from wearing a rainbow "One Love" armband to show support for diversity and non-discrimination, especially for the LGBTQ community.
Besides the three names mentioned by Matthaus, German media listed other candidates who could succeed Flick including Julian Nagelsmann, Miroslav Klose, Jurgen Klinsmann or foreign coaches such as Oliver Glasner, Louis van Gaal and Zinedine Zidane.
Hong Duy
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