Arsene Wenger: "Bayern made the right decision in Hansi Flick"
Legendary manager Arsene Wenger says that Bayern Munich made the right choice in appointing Hansi Flick as coach following Niko Kovac's departure last November.
Legendary manager Arsene Wenger has admitted that Bayern Munich tried to sign him as head coach following the departure of Niko Kovac, but that the club made the correct decision in appointing Hansi Flick as coach.
"I think Bayern made the right choice, giving Hansi Flick the responsibility," the three-time English Premier League winner stated. "He's done extremely well, has made a lot of very good decisions, and his team have played very, very well. They're the best team in Europe."
Watch: Bayern’s 2019/20 Bundesliga title journey
Wenger, 70, was speaking to German newspaper Bild when he also confirmed that he had spoken to Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in November 2019 as the Bundesliga champions sought a new coach.
"He asked me if I could help," the former Arsenal manager said when asked about contact between himself and the Munich club after Kovac departed in the wake of a 5-1 loss away at Eintracht Frankfurt.
The Bavarians initially promoted assistant coach Flick to the top job on an interim basis. He started his tenure with four wins in as many games, scoring 16 goals and conceding none, and including a 4-0 Klassiker win over Borussia Dortmund in his maiden Bundesliga match.
Watch: Lewandowski – Bayern's tireless world-beater
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After being named head coach on a permanent basis in April, Joachim Löw's 2014 FIFA World Cup-winning assistant led Bayern to the treble of Bundesliga, DFB Cup and UEFA Champions League, claiming victory in 33 of his 36 matches in charge in 2019/20.
One of the on-field architects of that success drew further praise from FIFA's Chief of Global Football Development. Asked if 55-goal hero Robert Lewandowski will win this year's The Best FIFA Men's Player award, Wenger was clear in his opinion: "He's my favourite. He was the most clinical player in a team that won everything. It’s great to reward a player from a smaller country."
The Strasbourg native also revealed that he grew up as a fan of Günter Netzer and his Borussia Mönchengladbach team that won four Bundesliga titles under coach Hennes Weisweiler in the 1970s. "I liked their speed, because they attacked with such pace […] and I had long hair like Netzer," Wenger recalled.
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