What a career path! Hansi Flick leaves an elite club for an elite national team

Outgoing Bayern Munich coach Hansi Flick will succeed his former boss Joachim Loew in the Germany dugout after Euro 2020, the German Football Association announced on Tuesday.

The 56-year-old tactician has been the obvious choice for the job after working with the national team as an assistant and being free after his successful spell in charge of Bayern Munich.

"It's all gone surprisingly quickly, but I am very happy to be Germany coach from the autumn. I am hugely excited, because I see the class of players, and especially young players, which we have in Germany. We have every reason to approach the upcoming tournaments with optimism, for example, the European Championship at home in 2024. I am also looking forward to contributing my ideas and ideas beyond the national team to the academy and the other national age-group teams."

Flick has agreed German national team deal

Flick, who was assistant coach to Loew when Germany won the 2014 World Cup, has long been the favourite to take over from Loew, who will leave the job after 15 years in charge later this year. The national team director Oliver Bierhoff welcomed Flick into the new role.

"He was, from the start, at the top of my wish list. I have known and appreciated the human and professional qualities of Hansi Flick since our many successful years together with the national team."

Hansi, who also worked as DFB sporting director between 2014 and 2017, has made a name for himself as one of Europe's top coaches in two glittering years at perennial Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich. After taking over from predecessor Niko Kovac with the club in a mid-season crisis, he led Bayern to only their second-ever treble in 2020. The following year, he led the club to a ninth successive Bundesliga title.

Yet after a feud with sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic over recruitment, Flick asked for his contract to be terminated prematurely at the end of the season.

He will be succeeded on the Bayern bench by 33-year-old coaching prodigy Julian Nagelsmann, who joins the Bavarians from Bundesliga rivals RB Leipzig next season.