Budapest (AP) – Hansi Flick did not look for any excuses. The national coach left unanswered the question of whether the disappointing 1-1 draw of the national soccer team in Hungary was the worst performance of his term in office.
But Flick’s analysis after the third draw in the Nations League spoke for itself. “It was a step backwards for us in terms of the result and the way we approached the game,” said the 57-year-old late on Saturday night at the Puskas Arena in Budapest. And added a warning: “Of course you also have to say that we have already allowed one or the other on the defensive, which simply shouldn’t be.”
Five months before the start of the World Cup, Flick stalled with his project “back to the top of the world” – in all parts of the team, not just in the constantly criticized storm, in which Timo Werner delivered a performance beyond the requirements. It was obvious “that there is a complete lack of conviction in our team,” Flick distributed a collective reprimand after the fourth draw in a row.
Bierhoff: “Every fan gets gray hair”
As a former top striker, DFB director Oliver Bierhoff sympathized with the supporters. “Every fan turns gray if they don’t take the chance.” Flick said, however, that this time too few opportunities had been created. “We just built up without conviction, we were too sluggish in our build-up. We made it relatively easy for the opponent to be compact,” he said.