Berlin (AFP)
The conflict is now open between Hansi Flick and the leaders of Bayern Munich who rebuked him on Sunday for having announced without consultation his desire to leave, while the coach of Leipzig Julian Nagelsmann is given favorite by the German press to succeed him.
Tensions have been simmering for weeks, they are now in the public arena for the reigning European champion.
In question: the "bomb" dropped on Saturday by Flick after the German Championship match won by the Bavarians 3-2 in Wolfsburg, which opens wide the doors to a ninth consecutive German championship title.
In front of the cameras, he has expressed his desire to terminate his contract at the end of the season, while he runs in principle until 2023.
Flick did not give a reason, but his disagreements with club management over recruiting policy have been public knowledge for weeks.
And he is considered as promised to the post of coach of the German team after the Euro, Joachim Löw having announced his departure after the tournament.
But by thus forcing his destiny, Flick, at the head of Bayern since November 2019, clearly took his leaders by surprise.
"Bayern Munich disapprove of Hansi Flick's one-sided communication," the Bavarian club's management replied curtly in a brief statement.
- Wrathful reaction -
Bayern have confirmed that they were informed by the coach during the week of their willingness to leave.
But he adds that the two parties had agreed not to report it pending the outcome of a series of three decisive Bundesliga matches, the one won on Saturday in Wolfsburg and those scheduled against Leverkusen on Tuesday, then against Mainz on April 24.
This angry reaction from the management of the German champion confirms that relations with the coach have reached a point of no return, after months of hitches.
And this despite a historic 2019-20 season, marked by the victory in the Champions League against PSG (1-0) last summer, and no less than six trophies won.
This clash also occurs in the wake of the elimination in the quarterfinals of C1 at the expense of PSG (2-3, 1-0).
- 15 M euros for Nagelsmann?
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But the real problem lies elsewhere: The bickering between Flick and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic over recruiting had been in the headlines for weeks.
The two men no longer speak to each other.
They don't even exchange the slightest glance on the pitch during matches, as they sit almost side by side on the bench.
Flick's departure is now considered inevitable.
And he should train that of one of his emblematic deputies, former Bayern legend Miroslav Klose, the daily Bild said on Sunday.
"What really makes me think is the way communication is going at the moment" at the club, complained the former international center forward in the newspaper.
“Respect for others should always prevail even when we have divergent opinions,” he added, clearly targeting Hasan Salihamidzic, with whom he maintains equally stormy relations.
To replace Flick, a name comes up in most media, that of the coach of Bayern's main rival, Leipzig: Julian Nagelsmann.
Even if the latter assured this week that he had no contact, he is well according to the daily Bild on the shelves of the Bavarian club.
Former Bayern legend Lothar Matthäus, TV consultant today, also sees him as the best candidate.
His arrival could however cost 15 million euros to pay Leipzig, because Nagelsmann is still under contract there.
Other names mentioned include former Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri, former Dutch Bayern captain Mark van Bommel, and current Ajax Amsterdam technician Erik ten Hag, who was in charge of the Bayern reserve. from 2013 to 2015.
© 2021 AFP