Flick announces Bayern Munich departure: I’ve told the players I’m leaving

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 19 May 2021 15:43 BST
• 3 min read

Bayern Munich boss Hansi Flick has announced that he will leave the club at the end of the season.

Speculation had been mounting for weeks that Flick would leave owing to his poor relationship with sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic.

Meanwhile, he has been associated with the Germany national team post, which will become vacant after Euro 2020, when Joachim Low will stand down.

Speaking after the 3-2 victory over Wolfsburg, he said: “I told the team today that I would like to terminate my contract at the end of the season.”

What did Flick win at Bayern Munich?

Flick has enjoyed prodigious success during his short but eventful time in charge of FCB.

He took over from Niko Kovac in November 2019 initially on an interim basis after his predecessor was sacked. His period in charge, however, proved to be so successful that he was offered the post until the end of the season. By that point, the board were so impressed with Flick’s performance that he was handed a three-year deal.

Flick rewarded them by winning a succession of titles, including the domestic double and the Champions League, in which his side notably thumped Barcelona 8-2 en route to beating Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in the final.

However, over the course of the summer, relations with Salihamidzic soured over transfer policy and would not recover. As such, Flick has elected to stand down as Bayern boss.

Despite these background issues, Bayern have continued to dominate domesically and remain on course for the Bundesliga title. However, they were knocked out of the Champions League on the away goals rule by PSG, despite winning 1-0 in Paris earlier this week.

Flick, meanwhile, will now be considered hot favourite to take the Germany job, having spent eight years as Joachim Low’s right-hand man from 2006-2014.