Hansi Flick's Future Comes Into Focus After Bayern Munich's Champions League Exit

Flick has been touted as the favorite to become Germany's next national team coach following the Euros this summer.

BERLIN (AP) — Bayern Munich coach Hansi Flick is mulling his future following the team’s Champions League elimination.

Flick, who has a contract through 2023 but has refused to say if he will fulfill it, has emerged as the leading candidate to take over the German national team once Joachim Löw finally steps down after this year’s European Championship. Flick was Löw’s assistant from 2006-14.

Flick delivered an impassioned monologue for more than four minutes after the defending champions’ exit at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain late Tuesday, when he spoke about a future he is still considering.

“I have a contract with Bayern Munich and these are things that just come. You always think about what’s happening and how does it go on and so on, whether everything is wonderful or otherwise,” Flick told broadcaster Sky.

“I think the thing is for everyone in this position, whether as manager or coach or whatever, is how can I keep developing the team, the club? It’s a normal process … I’m always thinking, because for me it’s part of the process of success. And of course, you have to look.”

Former Bayern great Lothar Matthäus said on the same broadcast that there had been telephone contact between the German soccer federation and Flick, and that the 56-year-old coach is the federation’s favorite to take over from Löw. Matthäus also said Bayern is already considering Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann as Flick’s successor.

Nagelsmann responded Wednesday.

“There were and are no talks,” Nagelsmann said ahead of Leipzig’s Bundesliga game on Friday against his former club, Hoffenheim. “I don’t know where he got the information. You’d have to ask Lothar that.”

Flick led Bayern to a Champions League, Bundesliga and German Cup treble after taking over from Niko Kovač in November 2019. Last week’s 3-2 loss at home to PSG in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals was his first defeat in the competition, though the French club still progressed on away goals after Bayern’s 1-0 win in the second leg.

Under Flick, Bayern won 16 games, drew one and lost another in the Champions League.

If he leaves the Bavarian powerhouse, and Bayern coaxes Nagelsmann from Leipzig in his place, it will add to the growing list of managerial changes for the new season.

Eintracht Frankfurt coach Adi Hütter is turning his back on almost certain Champions League qualification to join Borussia Mönchengladbach and take over from Marco Rose, who is leaving to take over from Edin Terzić at Borussia Dortmund.

Frankfurt will be hoping that Tuesday’s announcement of Hütter’s departure does not lead to a collapse like Gladbach’s in the games after Rose’s departure was made known. Once a contender for Champions League qualification, Gladbach is now in danger of missing out on European qualification altogether.

Bayern, meanwhile, is closing in on a record-extending ninth consecutive Bundesliga title. It’s likely to be the last under Flick.