Now it’s getting serious! For Hansi Flick, the Nations League is the most important “endurance test” for the World Cup.
Hansi Flick’s eyes light up when he talks about this very special “World Cup dress rehearsal”. “It’s a huge challenge for us,” says the national coach, looking forward to the four great duels in the Nations League, “we’re playing against the two best teams in the EURO, it’s a great opportunity for us to show how far we’ve come .” And the hoped-for “endurance test” for the title mission in Qatar.
“We have our sights set on the world’s best,” says Flick before the meeting on Monday in last year’s EM quarters at partner adidas in Herzogenaurach. After meetings with European champions Italy (4th and 14th June), European Championship finalists England (7th) and Hungary (11th), he knows “exactly how far the road is” to the fifth star. Or whether it needs to be sharpened.
Goretzka: “We’re really in the mood now”
“It will be a real indicator. You only have to say Italy or England,” says DFB director Oliver Bierhoff and speaks of the “first real endurance test” of the Flick era. With the exception of the game in the Netherlands in March (1-1), the DFB-Elf have “played more and more against slightly weaker opponents”, admits Leon Goretzka: “Now we’re really keen to show that we can do it against the big ones nations can judge.” And at the World Cup.
From Flick’s point of view, the “mini-tournament” including a training camp in tranquil Franconia is perfect for simulating an emergency. “It’s great because we can also develop a certain mental strength as a group,” he says. Bierhoff is certain: “We will be challenged.” After missing out on qualifying for the World Cup, Italy are playing with “a lot of anger in their stomachs, the English are a team that has grown a lot over the years.”
Gündogan knows: “Need results now”
You can’t exactly say that about the DFB selection, although by and large Flick relies on proven forces from the time of his predecessor Joachim Löw. But after the historic World Cup disaster in 2018 and the failed European Championship, “we can no longer rest on our laurels on the “status of the alleged tournament team,” says midfielder Ilkay Gündogan. We need results now to turn the mood in the country into a positive one “. And also to show the fans: there could be something at the finals in Qatar (November 21 to December 18).
The family training camp in Marbella until Friday was the first step, Flick rated it as a complete success. He has also looked around in “Herzo” and identified “top conditions”. “Everything is prepared for us to be able to perform,” he believes.
In his World Cup team, there are only places left on the defensive flanks and one of the wings. Otherwise, Flick’s tribe should now get used to it – and develop that certain World Cup feeling. “If we win, play great and convince,” says Thomas Müller, “then of course we’ll have the feeling in November: hey, we can definitely do something.”