Germany coach: 'Disrespectful to say that we won 8-0 against Costa Rica'
Germany got just one point and finished bottom of the table, while Spain got four, Japan and Costa Rica tied with three. Therefore, in the last leg today, Germany needs to win Costa Rica with a difference of at least two goals, if Japan and Spain split points in the match at the same time. In the event that Japan loses, Germany can win with any score. If they lose or draw with Costa Rica, the European representative will be at the bottom of the group and be eliminated from the group stage of the second consecutive World Cup.
In theory, Germany still holds the right to self-determination when it is certain to continue if it defeats Costa Rica by more than seven goals. However, Flick admits this scenario is not feasible. He also highly appreciated the fact that Costa Rica overcame the 0-7 loss to Spain to defeat Japan 1-0 in the next leg. "I think it would be disrespectful to Costa Rica to talk about the possibility of Germany scoring eight goals," emphasized the 57-year-old coach.
Flick worked as an assistant to his predecessor Joachim Low with the German team from 2006-2014, with the 2014 World Cup winners, he made a splash when he led Bayern from 2019-2021, winning seven titles, including the volley. eat six 2020 with Bundesliga, German Cup, Champions League, German Super Cup, European Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup. In total, he led Bayern 86 matches, drew nine, lost seven and won 70 - reaching a rate of 81.4%.
Flick succeeded Low in Germany after Euro 2021, under a three-year contract signed in May 2021 with a salary of $6.7 million per year - the highest among coaches working in Qatar 2022. Under this leader. , Germany showed signs of prosperity when they won all 13 matches, and won the first ticket to the 2022 World Cup after the host Qatar.
However, Germany showed signs of slowing down when it did not win the last two official matches before the 2022 World Cup - losing 0-1 to Hungary at home at Red Bull Arena and drawing England 3-3 in the UEFA Nations League at the end of September. Qatar, they have not even won when they lost to Japan 1-2 and drew Spain 1-1, respectively.
However, Flick insisted that he was not under any pressure, even after the opening match against Japan. He said: "I'm an optimist, and I don't think about being eliminated. Germany are in the situation they are in now because of our own fault. Now is the time for the whole team to give their all and win."
Flick also confirmed that he will continue to work regardless of Germany's results in this year's tournament. "I have a contract until 2024 and look forward to Euro 2024 being held at home. However, it is far from there," he said.
Today's match marked a historic milestone, with Stephanie Frappart becoming the first female referee to referee a match at the Men's World Cup. Supporting the 38-year-old referee were two other female referees, Neuza Back and Karen Diaz Medina. Flick believes that the female referees will do a good job and deserve to be the main referee at the World Cup. Meanwhile, Lukas Klostermann - who sat next to Flick in the press conference - was not interested in the arbitration issue. "For me, whoever catches is the most normal thing in the world."
Frappart once held the whistle at the 2019 Women's World Cup final between the US and the Netherlands, the 2019 European Super Cup between Chelsea and Liverpool, the 2022 French Cup final between Nantes and Nice. Frappart is also the first female referee on duty in the Champions League and Men's World Cup qualifiers.
