Hans-Dieter Flick -Bayern Munich's Newest Legend

The date was November 1, 2019.  Eintracht Frankfurt completely thrashed Bayern Munich, 5-1. The score doesn’t indicate how thoroughly Frankfurt dominated Bayern.  It could have been worse.  Bayern’s play was listless and confused.  Defender Jerome Boateng got a red card in the 25^th minute, which didn’t help.  Niko Kovač could have survived as coach if this game was an anomaly, but this game followed a 2-1 loss against Hoffenheim and a 2-2 draw against Augsburg.  To put that in context, that would be like the New England Patriots earning a tie against Cleveland or Detroit. 

After the Frankfurt match, Kovač and Bayern parted ways by mutual agreement.  His successor was Hans-Dieter Flick.  When I heard the name, I had to think hard about where I heard it before, then it came to me.  When I started watching German soccer in 1985, Flick was a midfielder for Bayern Munich. He played there for five seasons, but his playing career was cut short by injuries.  Prior to taking over for Kovač, Flick had been one of Kovač’s assistant coaches.  Flick had also been Joachim Löw’s chief assistant for the German national team that won the World Cup in 2014.

When Flick took over from Niko Kovač, is first match came four days later against Greek squad Olympiacos in a UEFA Champions League qualifier. Bayern fans held their collective breath until Bayern won 2-0.  The real test was Der Klassiker against Borussia Dortmund on Matchday 11.  Bayern won that contest 4-0.  At first it was thought that Flick would only be a caretaker coach.  There were a couple of bumps in the road – a 2-1 loss to Bayer Leverkusen on Matchday 13, and a 2-1 loss to Borussia Mönchengladbach the following week.  Though they lost those two games, the hierarchy at Bayern liked what they saw.  Flick would be the coach until the end of the season. 

Then something extraordinary happened – Bayern hasn’t lost a game since that loss to BMG on December 7^th.  Bayern took over first place after Matchday 20 and didn’t look back.  The only blemish on the record was a 0-0 draw against RB Leipzig.  Before the COVID-19 pandemic and the suspension of the Bundesliga season in March, Bayern removed the interim tag from Flick’s job title and signed him to coach through 2023. When play resumed after the COVID-enforced break, Bayern won their remaining nine matches [the only Bundesliga team to do so].  They won their eighth consecutive Bundesliga title by 13 points – it wasn’t close.

After securing the Bundesliga crown, Bayern defeated Bayer Leverkusen 4-2 for the DFB-Pokal [Bayern’s 20^th].  Bayern also cruised through the UEFA Champions League.  They demolished Tottenham 7-2 in the group stage, then crushed Chelsea 7-1 on aggregate in the knockout stage.  After they made believers of English Premier League fanboys [who referred to the Bundesliga as a “farmer’s league”], Bayern ruthlessly buried Barcelona 8-2.  They beat Olympique Lyonnais 3-0 in the semi-final, then squeaked by Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 to win their sixth UEFA Champions League title.  For those who deride the Bundesliga as a “farmer’s league,” winning the UCL means “best in Europe”.  As if to put an exclamation point on the victory, Bayern Munich became the first team to go through the entire UCL playoff undefeated.  Take that, EPL fanboys…

How did Hansi Flick right the ship and turn his team into ruthless killers?  A change in philosophy was the ticket.  Niko Kovač preferred a more conservative, defense-minded approach.  Under Kovač, they had often look labored, happy to probe the opposition patiently and keep things tight at the back. The problem with that approach is that it is more reactive than proactive.  Flick instituted a more attacking style.  High-octane pressing [the tried and true gegenpress], smart, short passing, coolness in playing out from the back, productive possession, and lightning quick transitions to hurt teams on the counter attack became Bayern calling cards.  The Bayern players, both the new guys and the veterans, bought into the philosophy wholeheartedly.  It looks like “the best defense is a great offense” approach.  Bayern’s killer instinct had returned. The biggest change was Thomas Müller.  For whatever reason, Müller was in Kovac’s doghouse.  By the time of Kovac’s departure, Müller [who is the face of Bayern] had contemplated moving to another team after this season.  Flick gave Müller more freedom to be creative on offense.  The ‘Raumdeuter’ [‘space interpreter’] rewarded Flick’s faith in him by setting the single-season assist record with 21.  In short [to borrow a phrase], Bayern didn’t let the bastards breathe.  Bayern football is fun to watch again.

With Sunday’s victory over Paris Saint Germain in the UEFA Champions League final, Hansi Flick did what Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti failed to do – win the European treble [the Bundesliga title, the DFB-Pokal, and the Champions League). If Bayern Munich had a Mount Rushmoe of coaches, Hansi Flick would be there with Udo Lattek, Jupp Heynckes, Ottmar Hitzfeld, and Dettmar Cramer.