Surprising Twist: Rudi Voller Shocks Fans, Declares He Won't Succeed Hansi Flick as Germany National Team Director

Germany's national team director, Rudi Voller, has declared that he will not be seeking to replace Hansi Flick as the successor for the role, despite being in charge of Tuesday's friendly match against France. Flick's dismissal occurred on Sunday, with only nine months remaining before the commencement of the European Championships on home ground next summer. The decision came after Germany suffered a humiliating 4-1 defeat in a friendly match against Japan on Saturday.

Germany's recent track record leaves much to be desired, as they have suffered four defeats in their last five matches. This dismal performance follows their unfortunate elimination in the group stage of the previous World Cup. Voller, a former player for the West Germany team that triumphed in the 1990 World Cup and who also served as the national coach from 2000 to 2004, has temporarily taken charge of the team until a permanent replacement is appointed.

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Flick was fired by the German national team on Sunday.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, he expressed, "Tomorrow is a singular event for me, and I felt a responsibility to contribute to this match. My aim is to assist the new coach, just as I did with Hansi Flick, but hopefully achieve improved outcomes."

"I am aware of the situation and I had no intention of doing it. However, they managed to persuade me," he said. The German FA (DFB) will ensure they appoint a suitable coach before the upcoming friendlies against the United States on October 14 and Mexico four days later, when they visit America for a short period of time.

Voller declined to engage in any discussions regarding potential candidates, including former Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann, who is seen as one of the potential successors to Flick.

"While there are names being mentioned in our discussions, I have learned not to comment on any specific names in this industry," he stated. "I firmly believe that within the next three and a half weeks, we will introduce a new coach."

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Japan thrashed Germany in Wolfsburg

He said that would still give time for the coach and team to create a buzz for the Euro hosts.

We need to rapidly generate some excitement, which can be achieved through both results and the presence of a new individual. Voller mentioned that the team, led by Flick, had carried the disappointment of the World Cup into the new year and was unsuccessful in restoring their confidence.

The weight of being eliminated from the World Cup early is challenging. Having a new coach who can bring change and innovative ideas is crucial," he remarked.

Since taking over from Joachim Low in August 2021, whom he served as an assistant from 2006 to 2014, Flick only managed to win 12 out of 25 matches.

When will Euro 2024 begin?

Germany's coach, a 58-year-old leader, began his reign with an impressive string of eight consecutive victories. However, their performance at the Qatar World Cup fell short as they failed to advance from Group E. The team suffered a defeat against Japan, achieved a draw against Spain, and emerged victorious over Costa Rica. In the past year, Germany has only managed to secure wins against Oman and Peru.

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Euro 2024 Qualifying

The final tournament draw will take place in December 2023 at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg.

Teams will be seeded based on the overall rankings in the European Qualifiers. As hosts, Germany will automatically be placed in pot 1 and assigned position A1. The play-off winners, yet to be determined, will be placed in pot 4 for the draw.

The opening game of Euro 2024 is June 14 with the final taking place on July 14 at the Olympiastadion, Berlin.