Hansi Flick will continue as Bayern Munich’s interim head coach “until further notice”, although the club have stopped short of offering the 54-year-old a permanent contract.
“Uli Hoeness, Hasan Salihamidzic and I publicly announced after the Dortmund match last Saturday that Hansi Flick is our head coach until further notice,” Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Bayern’s CEO, told the club’s annual general meeting.
“I have held talks with Hansi in the past days, and he told me reporters keep asking him if he will be in charge the next game … I can say that until further notice means he will be in charge at least until Christmas, or maybe even beyond.”
Rummenigge also praised Flick’s impact on the club since replacing Niko Kovac earlier this month. “He has an impressive idea of training and tactics,” Rummenigge said. “His handling of the players is very good, and we like his pleasant demeanour. I’m telling you with absolute conviction: we trust Hansi Flick.”
Earlier on Friday, Bayern striker Robert Lewandowski had called for Flick to be given the job until the end of the season. “I believe that Hansi is the right man,’ he told Polish TV channel TVN24. “He should have a chance to be our coach, at least until the end of the season … in a short time, he has shown us what we can do to improve.”
Flick has won both his games in charge of Bayern, including a 4-0 win over Dortmund that led outgoing president Hoeness to name him as “clearly … our first candidate as a coach.” He will take charge of eight games before the winter break, including a Champions League tie against Tottenham on 11 December.
After a playing career that included more than 100 appearances in the Bayern midfield from 1985 to 1990, Flick spent more than a decade as a coach in the German national setup. He joined Bayern as an assistant coach this summer.
Bayern have also announced Herbert Hainer as the club’s new president, replacing Hoeness, who stands down after a total of eight years in charge. Hainer, 65, has been the supervisory board’s deputy chairman since 2002, following a 30-year career with Adidas.
Bayern Munich is the best club in the world,” said Hainer, before paying tribute to Hoeness. “I would like to bow to you, dear Uli, for your lifetime achievement. It is simply admirable what you have done for this club.”
Pledging to be a “president for all”, Hainer set out his vision for the future. “We must always preserve our soul. FC Bayern stands for cosmopolitanism, tolerance, respect and social commitment. Success must never be at the expense of our identity.”
