Watzke: Detachment from Flick never an issue – Bierhoff successor without pressure
DFL supervisory board chairman Hans-Joachim Watzke emphasized that replacing Hansi Flick as national coach after the national team’s World Cup preliminary round was not a consideration for the DFB leadership. “A separation was not at all up for discussion,” said Watzke, who is also DFB Vice President and Managing Director of Borussia Dortmund, on Thursday at a press conference of the German Football League (DFL) in Neu-Isenburg. “It wasn’t all bad,” said Watzke about Germany’s appearance at the World Cup in Qatar.
Watzke explained the regulation of the successor to national team director Oliver Bierhoff to the DFB task under the direction of association president Neuendorf. According to Watzke, there doesn’t have to be a rush job, even if he would find a “solution before Christmas nice”. It remains to be seen whether the “vacuum” that Bierhoff will leave behind after his retirement will be filled by one or two people.
“In the end it’s a DFB decision,” said Watzke. The 54-year-old Bierhoff was head of the DFB academy and also director for the national teams. Fredi Bobic (51), managing director of Bundesliga club Hertha BSC, is hotly traded as his successor.