FIFA World Cup 2022: Who is the manager of Germany at the Qatar WC?

Before coming on board as the head of the coaching staff of Germany, Flick showed his coaching calibre by guiding Bayern Munich to the Bundesliga-DfB Pokal-Champions League treble in the 2019-20 season.

FILE PHOTO: Germany head coach Hansi Flick gestures during a training session in Frankfurt ahead of the UEFA Nations League Group 3 fixture against Hungary on September 23, 2022.  | Photo Credit: AFP

Following the German tradition, assistant coach Hansi Flick was appointed as the manager of the senior team in September 2021. He worked eight years as an assistant to 2014 World Cup-winning coach Joachim Low. There is a high expectation on Flick to lead Germany to glory again after the dismal showing in the World Cup in Russia, where it made a group stage exit and then in the Euro, it lost to England 2-0 in the pre-quarterfinals.

Before coming on board as the head of the coaching staff of Germany, Flick showed his coaching calibre by guiding Bayern Munich to the Bundesliga-DfB Pokal-Champions League treble in the 2019-20 season. It was Bayern’s second continental treble in its illustrious history.

Under Flick, Bayern Munich, which performed miserably under former coach Niko Kovac, also clinched the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup. It resulted in him being part of the elite group of managers who have won the sextuple. Flick left Bayern in April 2021, citing his desire to rejoin the national team.

In Qatar, he will look to take Germany, who failed to win any trophy since the 2014 World Cup, to a new height.

What formation does Hansi Flick use?

In the build-up to the FIFA World Cup 2022, Germany expectedly became the first team to qualify for the mega event when it topped Group J, featuring North Macedonia, Romania, Armenia, Iceland, and Liechtenstein.

During these matches, he used 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 formations and relied heavily on midfielders. This was because he got a set of quality players in the attacking line: Serge Gnabry, Leon Goretzka, Leroy Sane, Havertz, Mario Gotze and experienced Thomas Muller. However, it will be interesting to see whom Flick chooses as the centre-forward.

With injured Timo Werner, who played an important role during the qualifiers, not going to Qatar, managing the midfield could be a delicate matter for Flick.