Following Germany’s 4-1 friendly defeat to Japan in Wolfsburg on Saturday, Hansi Flick was fired as manager.
He is the first German leader to be fired since the position was established in 1926.
Germany has lost four of their last five games, and Flick has only managed 12 victories in 25 games since taking over for Joachim Low in August 2021.
Rudi Voller, who led the squad from 2000 to 2004, will serve as interim manager for Tuesday’s friendly against France.
Voller, a former Germany striker, was named director of the German national team in February.
Hannes Wolf and Sandro Wagner will assist him.
Germany, which will host the men’s European Championship next year, has been in turmoil.
“The committee agreed that the German national team needs a fresh impetus after the recent disappointing results,” German FA president Bernd Neuendorf remarked.
“We need confidence and optimism in the country about our team going into the European Championship next summer.”
“This has been one of the most difficult decisions I’ve had to make during my time in this position because I have a great deal of respect for Hansi Flick and his assistants, both professionally and personally.”
“The DFB prioritizes sporting success, which is why this decision had to be made.”
From 2006 through 2014, Flick, 58, was Low’s assistant manager in Germany.
His tenure began with eight consecutive victories, but their record deteriorated and Germany was eliminated from the World Cup in the group stage last year.
Marcus Sorg and Danny Rohl, his assistants, have also been fired.
Germany has only defeated Oman, Costa Rica, and Peru in the last year.
Such a poor showing was surprising given that Flick won 70 of his 86 games as Bayern Munich manager from November 2019 to June 2021.
Bayern Munich won the domestic league, cup, and Champions League treble under Flick in the 2019-20 season.
Flick expressed “brutally disappointed” after Japan’s defeat, but maintained that he was still the “right manager” for Germany.
“Things can change in professional football, and I can’t see what’s coming,” he continued ominously.
The German Football Association stated that it wanted to name Flick’s full-time replacement “as soon as possible.”
