Hansi Flick can ponder for many more hours over the course of Sunday about his final personnel decisions for the very important World Cup game against Spain. “We still have a long day,” said the national coach, referring to the late kick-off time of 10 p.m. local time in Qatar. He is “not unsure” about the selection of the eleven players who can successfully withstand the pressure of the impending World Cup elimination at the Al Bait Stadium in Al Chaur (8 p.m. / ZDF and MagentaTV).
Nevertheless, he said about the game in his press conference in Doha on Saturday: “There are several positions where I still see one or the other option.” But he wasn’t thinking about the positioning of Joshua Kimmich. There is always speculation about a transfer of the Bayern professional from midfield to the right full-back position.
When a reporter asked Flick about this variant and spoke of a possible decision “in the interests of the team”, Flick answered with a counter question: “Why in the interests of the team?” The 57-year-old had basically ruled out such a castling before the tournament.
“For me, Joshua is one of the best sixes there is. One who can lead the team and bring stability to the game. He has a great last pass. Let’s see where he plays,” said Flick in an ARD interview. The national coach does not want to reveal anything to the Spaniards in advance. That’s why he didn’t rule out setting up the central midfielders Kimmich, Ilkay Gündogan and Leon Goretzka together.
“That can also be the case, absolutely. We can all do business games. All three are excellent players. You can also play all three in midfield, without a doubt,” said Flick. He sees his central task in preparing the team as well as possible.
After the 1: 2 against Japan, the shortcomings such as the exploitation of chances and the defensive failure were discussed intensively. “We addressed things clearly. I have a lot of conversations. Ultimately, it’s about preparing the team for a difficult opponent, so that everyone knows what to do when we play against Spain.”
The German team is practically doomed to win to catapult themselves back into the tournament. The goal is to stay in Qatar beyond the group stage. “We will do everything for it,” promised the national coach: “I am absolutely convinced that we will play well and win the game in the end.”