It’s been seven months since Hans-Dieter Flick joined the “Mannschaft”, taking over as assistant coach when Jürgen Klinsmann resigned and Joachim Löw was promoted as the new head coach. In the
“Talk of the Week” on dfb.de, the 42-year old looks back on the successful run following the World Cup. On Saturday, Germany faces the Czech Republic (8.45 P.M., live on ARD) in a battle for first place in Group D of the EURO 2008 qualifying. Both teams are deadlocked with ten points each.
Question: Mr. Flick, looking back on your first seven months as the assistant coach, how did it go?
Flick: It was a very rewarding experience. We have not lost a single game during that time span, but that’s only part of the reason. I truly enjoy my job.
Question: How do you approach your role as the assistant of Joachim Löw?
Flick: I stick to my duties. Nothing is more important than loyalty, towards the coach, the team and the DFB. I am very ambitious. Our entire staff works around the clock to get a maximum performance out of our players.
Question: Any surprises in these first few months?
Flick: I was impressed by the work that the staff accomplished in the two years leading up to the World Cup. They really built a strong foundation. And I was pleasantly surprised about how eager our players are, how much they want to learn and improve. No let-down what so ever following the World Cup.
Question: You have never played in the national team? Is that a handicap for your job?
Flick: By no means. Today’s player doesn’t want to hear stories from the old days. They want to improve through the most modern training methods, individually and collectively. They want well-educated coaches, not great ex-players.
Question: Is there room for improvement when you look at Michael Ballack, Miroslav Klose or Jens Lehmann?
Flick: Each player can improve. Even the world’s best piano player sits down to practice each and every day. We have to reach a point where daily improvement becomes routine. Practices using modern technology and knowledge is the key.
Question: What are your main tasks?
Flick: I have developed a data base, where we store all the player information. This is a first in DFB history. From the data, we develop a profile for each player. I’m also on the road quite a lot, for scouting purposes. We try not to waste time by visiting games of Miroslav Klose, Torsten Frings or Bernd Schneider, because we know that they are great. We focus on games with players of the next generation. Besides myself, Joachim Löw, Dieter Eilts, Urs Siegenthaler and Andreas Köpke belong to the scouting staff for our team.
Question: Please take us through a typical work-week.
Flick: The first five months were intense. We played five games between September and December. These last few weeks were devoted to developing new concepts. I try to see 2-3 games each week, either in Germany or somewhere else in Europe. I attend coaching seminars, and we visit FIFA and UEFA events. I usually spend four days on the road, while I work in my home near Heidelberg for the rest of the week. As a team, we discuss almost everthing. We are very meticulous, but I’m certain, at this level, any lesser effort would lead to failure.
Question: How do you rank Germany’s football in comparison to the other major nations?
Flick: Playing in front of our own fans gave us a tremendous boost in 2006. We finished in third place, and I think that’s really where we belong right now. The future looks bright. Our talents need to grow, then we don’t need to worry. We feel tremendous support from the public, because people can relate to our philosophy.
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It’s been seven months since Hans-Dieter Flick joined the “Mannschaft”, taking over as assistant coach when Jürgen Klinsmann resigned and Joachim Löw was promoted as the new head coach. In the
“Talk of the Week” on dfb.de, the 42-year old looks back on the successful run following the World Cup. On Saturday, Germany faces the Czech Republic (8.45 P.M., live on ARD) in a battle for first place in Group D of the EURO 2008 qualifying. Both teams are deadlocked with ten points each.
Question: Mr. Flick, looking back on your first seven months as the assistant coach, how did it go?
Flick: It was a very rewarding experience. We have not lost a single game during that time span, but that’s only part of the reason. I truly enjoy my job.
Question: How do you approach your role as the assistant of Joachim Löw?
Flick: I stick to my duties. Nothing is more important than loyalty, towards the coach, the team and the DFB. I am very ambitious. Our entire staff works around the clock to get a maximum performance out of our players.
Question: Any surprises in these first few months?
Flick: I was impressed by the work that the staff accomplished in the two years leading up to the World Cup. They really built a strong foundation. And I was pleasantly surprised about how eager our players are, how much they want to learn and improve. No let-down what so ever following the World Cup.
Question: You have never played in the national team? Is that a handicap for your job?
Flick: By no means. Today’s player doesn’t want to hear stories from the old days. They want to improve through the most modern training methods, individually and collectively. They want well-educated coaches, not great ex-players.
Question: Is there room for improvement when you look at Michael Ballack, Miroslav Klose or Jens Lehmann?
Flick: Each player can improve. Even the world’s best piano player sits down to practice each and every day. We have to reach a point where daily improvement becomes routine. Practices using modern technology and knowledge is the key.
Question: What are your main tasks?
Flick: I have developed a data base, where we store all the player information. This is a first in DFB history. From the data, we develop a profile for each player. I’m also on the road quite a lot, for scouting purposes. We try not to waste time by visiting games of Miroslav Klose, Torsten Frings or Bernd Schneider, because we know that they are great. We focus on games with players of the next generation. Besides myself, Joachim Löw, Dieter Eilts, Urs Siegenthaler and Andreas Köpke belong to the scouting staff for our team.
Question: Please take us through a typical work-week.
Flick: The first five months were intense. We played five games between September and December. These last few weeks were devoted to developing new concepts. I try to see 2-3 games each week, either in Germany or somewhere else in Europe. I attend coaching seminars, and we visit FIFA and UEFA events. I usually spend four days on the road, while I work in my home near Heidelberg for the rest of the week. As a team, we discuss almost everthing. We are very meticulous, but I’m certain, at this level, any lesser effort would lead to failure.
Question: How do you rank Germany’s football in comparison to the other major nations?
Flick: Playing in front of our own fans gave us a tremendous boost in 2006. We finished in third place, and I think that’s really where we belong right now. The future looks bright. Our talents need to grow, then we don’t need to worry. We feel tremendous support from the public, because people can relate to our philosophy.
