Hansi Flick’s restart – These are the hopefuls

There will hardly be a radical change under Hansi Flick – but his team urgently needs new influences with a view to the EM 2024. There are a few hopefuls.

It is extremely likely that Jamal Musiala will play a key role when Germany plays the opening game of the European Championship in Munich on June 14, 2024. The 19-year-old Bayern shooting star may have been transfigured a little too early into Messi II by one or the other expert, especially if you take into account the absolutely developable posture when scoring and the too often missing eye for the better positioned next man in the assessment.

But these are exactly things that Flick can definitely steer into more promising paths than in Qatar in a year and a half, because Musiala’s basic equipment of speed, dribbling and train to goal promises world class – in the near future. That can be on the ten, on the left offensive wing or on the eighth position. But who in German football has similar facilities? Or completely different skills with which the DFB team can finally get further than the preliminary rounds like at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups or the round of 16 like at EURO 2021?

Wirtz, Schade, Burkardt or Samardzic

There are quite a number of beacons of hope. And one of the keys to Flick’s success will definitely be to get the best out of the players who underperformed in Qatar, such as Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sané, Kai Havertz and Nico Schlotterbeck. In addition, there is Timo Werner, who is injured and missing, who scored the most goals during Flick’s tenure.

But what Thomas Müller, Ilkay Gündogan, Leon Goretzka and Niklas Süle, for example, played in Qatar regardless of their previous merits, the younger players should also be able to do. Like Florian Wirtz, Kevin Schade, Lukas Nmecha, Armel Bella-Kotchap, Jonathan Burkardt and Youssoufa Moukoko. Yannik Keitel and Lazar Samardzic have also drawn attention to themselves. And Noah Weißhaupt from SC Freiburg is also very popular with many Bundesliga clubs. But, similar to Keitel and Samardzic, the time until the European Championships will be short, especially since the 21-year-old Weißhaupt currently has Vincenzo Grifo in front of him on the left wing.

Long periods of suffering

Flick would certainly have liked to have backed Wirtz from Leverkusen at the World Cup in Qatar, but a cruciate ligament rupture stopped the greatest talent in German football alongside Musiala. Only now is this brilliant link between midfield and attack back on the way to full fitness, just how much his club missed him can easily be seen from the table.

Kevin Schade also has a long ordeal behind him, otherwise Flick might have focused on him earlier. When Antonio Di Salvo’s Germany U21s last won 4-2 in Italy on November 20, Schade was one of the best and scored to make it 3-0. Freiburg coach Christian Streich thinks very highly of the trained right winger, who has a well-placed shot but was out for more than half a year with an abdominal muscle injury.

Club coach at Nmecha and Burkardt required

In attack, it is by no means as if there are no alternatives to Niclas Füllkrug or a false nine like Havertz. Moukoko has already been able to gather his first World Cup experience and, like Musiala and Wirtz, he has everything he needs for the future. At BVB, Moukoko recently won the duel against Anthony Modeste, and it will be interesting to see whether he can do the same against Sebastien Haller after his return.

Mainz’s Jonathan Burkhardt and Wolfsburg’s Lukas Nmecha have also repeatedly shown top approaches. Burkhardt is a counter-attacker with strong tackles and a header, Nmecha is intelligent and a crook in the center of the attack. Both have stagnated for a long time, also due to injuries, there was a lack of consistency. It’s not primarily Flick here, it’s the club coaches Bo Svensson and Niko Kovac who are challenged, and of course, above all, Burkhardt and Nmecha themselves.

U21 as a stage for Keitel and Samardzic

In central defense, Flick himself has already made a decision for the future when he invited Mats Hummels and Armel Bella-Kotchap for Qatar. The 20-year-old, 1.90-metre giant, was already chief of defense at VfL Bochum at the age of 18 and has now immediately won a regular place in the Premier League at FC Southampton – but his club is fighting against relegation.

In Serie A, Lazar Samardzic, who is somewhat underestimated at Hertha, made 14 of 15 possible appearances at Udinese Calcio, scoring three goals and one assist. The central midfielder can be recommended for Flick via the junior national team, just like his U-21 sidekick Yannik Keitel, who has already made eleven appearances in Freiburg this season and is already playing at a very good technical and tactical level at the age of 22.

Form dents at Adeyemi, Waldschmidt and Koch

Karim Adeyemi, Luca Waldschmidt and Robin Koch are already on the field with Flick, but currently without too much perspective. Despite his weak first half of the season at Borussia Dortmund, Adeyemi was surprisingly nominated for the World Cup, but he did not play and now urgently needs to stabilize himself at club level.

This also applies to Waldschmidt from VfL Wolfsburg, who is hardly considered by Niko Kovac. Robin Koch has played for Leeds United in the premier league Although a regular place, 26 goals in 14 games do not speak for great stability. For all three, however, it is also true that they can quickly recommend themselves again through top performance. They have already proven their skills, all three also in the Germany jersey.