Flick and Müller ring out in chorus on big inquiry: "Next Question!"
Bayern München trainer Hans Dieter Flick was terse in his statements to the press both before and after kickoff on Saturday afternoon.
After dodging endless questions about his future with the club, the 56-year-old found time to declare himself satisfied with the individual performances of his team.
Both Flick and team talisman Thomas Müller toed the same line when it came to press prodding on Flick's future.
After dodging endless questions about his future with the club, the 56-year-old found time to declare himself satisfied with the individual performances of his team.
Both Flick and team talisman Thomas Müller toed the same line when it came to press prodding on Flick's future.
Thomas Müller. | Photo: Sven Mandel / CC-BY-SA-4.0 |
"I was satisfied with everyone," Flick said when asked about the undesired result, "The team showed a good mentality, but earned two points too few. A 1-0 would have been okay, but then there was a controversial throw in and the 1-1. That's a shame and we have to accept that. We're nevertheless looking forward with positivity."
Clearly tired of fielding questions about his perceived rift with sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic, Flick's repeated refrain of "next question" became increasingly bellicose over the course of the weekend. It sounded cordial at the Friday presser. It sounded more acerbic before kickoff. Finally, both Flick and Thomas Müller got irksome after the match.
Facing the Sky microphones after the match, Müller noted that the topic of Flick's possible ascension to the Bundestrainer post isn't a topic of conversation amongst the players. He then demonstrated his flair for the mimic with his final statement on the matter.
"I'm with the coach on this one: Next question!" he noted.