Euro 2020: What next for the Round of 16 eliminated Germany?

Germany – Player to Watch

Kai Havertz, simply, was Germany’s best player at the tournament – and perhaps one of the best players overall until his team’s exit in the Round of 16.

He is very much a talent around whom a team can be built, and that is exactly what Flick should do. The ex-Bayern Munich coach famously wanted his compatriot to join him in Bavaria and will now get the chance to work with him.

Havertz can play in a variety of positions along the frontline but is most effective in drifting inside into the half-spaces or combining with his teammates through quick, crafty passes.

Against England in the Round of 16, Havertz created the game’s two best opportunities for his team by dropping deep and then playing a pass through to a runner.

Germany might lack a ruthless, traditional forward at the moment, but, in Havertz, they have a talent that can lead them towards greatness again. And he’s a Champions League winner too!

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Chelsea picked up Havertz from Germany in summer 2020. The Blues paid Bayer Leverkusen a hefty fee in doing so. Leverkusen, meanwhile, already had a replacement within their ranks.

Florian Wirtz had been signed from FC Koln six months before Havertz’s departure, and during the period in between, he was groomed to be his replacement.

Wirtz was unlucky to miss out on the final Germany squad for the Euro; it will be a huge surprise if he doesn’t make it to Qatar either. The 18-year-old is similar to his predecessor, but there is so much more to his game than just being Havertz 2.0.

It will be interesting to see where Flick slots him in, whether as an attacking midfielder playing behind Havertz or as a more attacking component of a midfield three.

Germany – Hopes for the Future

Don’t be too alarmed if Flick’s new-look Germany goes deep in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Die Mannschaft finds itself in a position not too dissimilar to the one rivals England did in 2018.

A new coach is taking over, the squad is extremely talented, and there are no expectations! Every tournament needs a well-functioning Germany, as much as it needs an exciting Italy or a fluid Netherlands.

Function is what the team is lacking at the moment, and, hopefully, Flick will correct its course en route to the World Cup in Qatar and further along until the Euro 2024, which will take place at home.