Former Bayern Munich coach Hansi Flick has signed a contract to become Germany national team coach once Joachim Loew departs after the Euro 2020, the German Football Federation (DFB) said on Tuesday.
The agreement will be valid until after the Euro 2024, set to take place in Germany.
"Everything happened very quickly, especially signing the contract, but I'm really happy to be the Germany head coach from autumn," Flick said.
"The season has just finished and the last two years at FC Bayern have left their mark on me. The team spirit and attitude of the players were excellent and I will take plenty with me that will help my work in my new role."
Flick was immediately tapped as the preferred candidate to replace current Germany coach Loew after the latter said in February he would step down following the Euro tournament, which starts next month.
DFB director Oliver Bierhoff led the negotiations with Flick and said he's "very proud" to have signed the coach.
"He was top of my wish list right from the start. It was important for me that we have that clarity ahead of the Euros. We have one major common goal, which is to return to the top of the world rankings," Bierhoff said.
After a successful 18-month reign at German record champions Bayern Munich, where he secured seven titles with the team including the Champions League in 2020, Flick had reportedly been also an option for Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur and Spanish club Barcelona.
"I'm really excited because of the class of players we have in Germany, especially the youngsters. We've got every reason to be optimistic about future tournaments, including the home Euros in 2024," Flick said.
Flick was promoted from assistant to head coach when his predecessor Niko Kovac was dismissed from Bayern but his stint at the club ended over a major rift with board member Hasan Salihamidzic, and he asked to be released from his contract early.
For Flick, this will be a comeback to the DFB as he worked alongside Loew as assistant coach from 2006 until the World Cup title in Brazil in 2014.
His first game in charge will be a World Cup qualifying match at Liechtenstein on September 2, followed by his first home game against Armenia on September 5 and a clash with Iceland three days later.
But he won't have much time to experiment as Germany sit third in their Group J after an embarrassing 2-1 defeat to North Macedonia in March.
Only the group winner qualifies for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, while the runner-up must face two play-off rounds to reach the tournament.
Off the pitch, the DFB also faces turbulence. Former president Fritz Keller resigned last week after comparing vice president Rainer Koch to Nazi judge Roland Freisler at an internal meeting in April. Further details of the incident are not known.
The DFB also recently terminated the contract of secretary general Friedrich Curtius. He faces investigations by the DFB sports court and lost a no-confidence vote by the regional bosses.
Source: DPA
