January 17 – Already embroiled in the 2006 World Cup bid scandal, German football has suffered another internal administrative blow with the premature departure of sporting director Hansi Flick, with former under-21 coach Horst Hrubesch hauled out of retirement to temporarily replace him.
Flick, 51, gave one of sport’s trademark reasons for leaving – “to spend more time with my family” – but insists there were no problems with the DFB even though his contract ran until 2019.
He worked for eight years as assistant to national coach Joachim Löw including the World Cup triumph in Brazil in 2014.
Hrubesch, who won 21 international caps and was West Germany’s match-winning hero in the Euro 1980 final against Belgium, also won the European Cup with his club Hamburg.
It is understood Low learned that one of his closest confidants had quit whilst on holiday in Florida. “It is with a heavy heart that he leaves us,” DFB President Reinhard Grindel was quoted as saying. “Hansi contributed decisively to the world title and as sports director set an important course for the future. “
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