SportsThe Consequences Of Losing To PSG For Bayern Munich Coach Hansi Flick

The Consequences Of Losing To PSG For Bayern Munich Coach Hansi Flick

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BEEVRLY HILLS, April 13, (THEWILL) – In Tuesday night’s UEFA Champions League second leg quarter-finals fixture at the Parc des Princes, French hosts and last season finalists Paris Saint-Germain survived a testing night against Bavarian heavyweights and last season’s winners Bayern Munich to avenge their loss in the finals and reach the Champions League semi-finals despite a 1-0 defeat at home.

However, even before the squads were on the pitch for the encounter, increasingly under-pressure Bayern manager Hansi Flick was being put through the grinder by the press who were already foreshadowing the loss that was to come. In that pre-match media talk, they questioned Flick on his relationship with Bayern’s Sporting Director, Hasan “Brazzo” Salihamidzic.

THEWILL recalls that two club legends at the Allianz Arena grounds of the German champions Lothar Matthaeus and Stefan Effenberg had concluded, based on their own knowledge of the inner workings of the club, that the relationship between Flick and Salihamidzic has broken down to such an extent that one may be forced to leave.

They founded their conclusion on the differences of opinions the two influential men have on a plethora of issues but most especially about the club’s transfer policies that impact squad composition and formation. They affirmed that these differences have become too entrenched and far apart as to render the contention between the two football administrators virtually unfixable.

However, when was asked about the internal issues of the Flick versus Brazzo spat, club president Herbert Hainer provided a sense of calm. “We are very relaxed about it, it is not the first and the last excitement that there was at Bayern. There is also a lot interpreted into it. It is definitely not as it is publicly portrayed.”

Hainer, who acknowledged the fact that both men were “two opinionated types,” added “[they] both have the same goal. In the last 18 months the two have built a team that has won six titles and plays attractive football. It can’t be that bad. They don’t have to be lovers. They have to work well together — and they do that.”

All these provided the backdrop for the press putting Flick on the spot ahead of one of the biggest matches this season for the club trying to defend one of the titles of their incredible sextuple from last season. In typical Flick fashion, the astute manager answered diplomatically even if the timing of the query left a lot to be desired.

“It’s not about Brazzo or me. It’s about the entire club. He does his job, I do my job. We focus on what is most important for the club. I’m clearly focused on the team. We have to go all-in today. It doesn’t mean that we’re running headless, but playing wisely. To make courageous decisions, to think along for others. Every single fibre in the body must want victory.”

Flick handled the question with finesse by deflecting the obvious bait and turning the focus back on what the team needed to do to keep being competitive. Although, Bayern Munich went on to win 1-0, they ultimately lost 3-3 on aggregate due to PSG’s three away goals advantage from the first leg, an advantage, which in the age of the pandemic and empty stadiums is not as decisive as before.

At the final whistle, Matthaus again waded into the fray with an affirmative proclamation that appeared to have come from his discussions with the Bayern coach, because of how authoritative it was, but for which he provided no evidence of having spoken with Flick. Speaking to Sky Germany, Matthaus claimed: “That was Hansi Flick’s last Champions League game as coach of FC Bayern. He is first choice at the DFB to succeed Joachim Löw. He will accept the offer in the summer.”

It is not the first time Flick would be linked with the vacancy that will soon exist in the German national team dugout and he has the resume to match the requirements of the job should he be interested. But, the Bayern coach has sternly refused to be drawn into the debate as to where his future lies, stubbornly choosing every time to focus on the job at hand in the Allianz Arena and the different competitions his side are involved in.

Unfortunately, the UCL will no longer be one of such as having gone one goal up on Tuesday and knowing they needed just one more to deal PSG another hard defeat, the defending champions pushed hard for a second goal after the interval. But, in the absence of the injured Robert Lewandowski and the unwell Serge Gnabry, it did not materialise.

PSG it was who got a leveller through French forward Kylian Mbappe, who dispatched a one-on-one opportunity against Manuel Neuer, only to see it chalked off correctly for offside and not count on the scoresheet.

The more the visitors pressed for the late goal that would have snatched it for Bayern, the more Les Parisiens held firm in a strong defensive performance, despite the absence of their captain Marquinhos, to avenge that painful final loss last season and progress this time instead.

The loss will only make Salihamidzic’s position, in the contention between Bayern’s Sporting Director and coach Flick, stronger because it harps on squad formation and transfer policies just as it will also be the type of motivation to make Flick more welcoming to the idea of picking up the challenge of replacing Löw, when the latter leaves his position at Die Mannschaft.In Tuesday night’s UEFA Champions League second leg quarter-finals fixture at the Parc des Princes, French hosts and last season finalists Paris Saint-Germain survived a testing night against Bavarian heavyweights and last season’s winners Bayern Munich to avenge their loss in the finals and reach the Champions League semi-finals despite a 1-0 defeat at home.

However, even before the squads were on the pitch for the encounter, increasingly under-pressure Bayern manager Hansi Flick was being put through the grinder by the press who were already foreshadowing the loss that was to come. In that pre-match media talk, they questioned Flick on his relationship with Bayern’s Sporting Director, Hasan “Brazzo” Salihamidzic.

THEWILL recalls that two club legends at the Allianz Arena grounds of the German champions Lothar Matthaeus and Stefan Effenberg had concluded, based on their own knowledge of the inner workings of the club, that the relationship between Flick and Salihamidzic has broken down to such an extent that one may be forced to leave.

They founded their conclusion on the differences of opinions the two influential men have on a plethora of issues but most especially about the club’s transfer policies that impact squad composition and formation. They affirmed that these differences have become too entrenched and far apart as to render the contention between the two football administrators virtually unfixable.

However, when was asked about the internal issues of the Flick versus Brazzo spat, club president Herbert Hainer provided a sense of calm. “We are very relaxed about it, it is not the first and the last excitement that there was at Bayern. There is also a lot interpreted into it. It is definitely not as it is publicly portrayed.”

Hainer, who acknowledged the fact that both men were “two opinionated types,” added “[they] both have the same goal. In the last 18 months the two have built a team that has won six titles and plays attractive football. It can’t be that bad. They don’t have to be lovers. They have to work well together — and they do that.”

All these provided the backdrop for the press putting Flick on the spot ahead of one of the biggest matches this season for the club trying to defend one of the titles of their incredible sextuple from last season. In typical Flick fashion, the astute manager answered diplomatically even if the timing of the query left a lot to be desired.

“It’s not about Brazzo or me. It’s about the entire club. He does his job, I do my job. We focus on what is most important for the club. I’m clearly focused on the team. We have to go all-in today. It doesn’t mean that we’re running headless, but playing wisely. To make courageous decisions, to think along for others. Every single fibre in the body must want victory.”

Flick handled the question with finesse by deflecting the obvious bait and turning the focus back on what the team needed to do to keep being competitive. Although, Bayern Munich went on to win 1-0, they ultimately lost 3-3 on aggregate due to PSG’s three away goals advantage from the first leg, an advantage, which in the age of the pandemic and empty stadiums is not as decisive as before.

At the final whistle, Matthaus again waded into the fray with an affirmative proclamation that appeared to have come from his discussions with the Bayern coach, because of how authoritative it was, but for which he provided no evidence of having spoken with Flick. Speaking to Sky Germany, Matthaus claimed: “That was Hansi Flick’s last Champions League game as coach of FC Bayern. He is first choice at the DFB to succeed Joachim Löw. He will accept the offer in the summer.”

It is not the first time Flick would be linked with the vacancy that will soon exist in the German national team dugout and he has the resume to match the requirements of the job should he be interested. But, the Bayern coach has sternly refused to be drawn into the debate as to where his future lies, stubbornly choosing every time to focus on the job at hand in the Allianz Arena and the different competitions his side are involved in.

Unfortunately, the UCL will no longer be one of such as having gone one goal up on Tuesday and knowing they needed just one more to deal PSG another hard defeat, the defending champions pushed hard for a second goal after the interval. But, in the absence of the injured Robert Lewandowski and the unwell Serge Gnabry, it did not materialise.

PSG it was who got a leveller through French forward Kylian Mbappe, who dispatched a one-on-one opportunity against Manuel Neuer, only to see it chalked off correctly for offside and not count on the scoresheet.

The more the visitors pressed for the late goal that would have snatched it for Bayern, the more Les Parisiens held firm in a strong defensive performance, despite the absence of their captain Marquinhos, to avenge that painful final loss last season and progress this time instead.

The loss will only make Salihamidzic’s position, in the contention between Bayern’s Sporting Director and coach Flick, stronger because it harps on squad formation and transfer policies just as it will also be the type of motivation to make Flick more welcoming to the idea of picking up the challenge of replacing Löw, when the latter leaves his position at Die Mannschaft.

About the Author

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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.

Jude Obafemi, THEWILLhttps://thewillnews.com
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.

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