By Oliver Trust

BERLIN, June 21 (Xinhua) -- The German national football team's atmosphere has hit rock bottom.

Following a string of disappointments, national coach Hansi Flick's squad was booed off the pitch by spectators after a 2-0 defeat in a friendly against Columbia. With only four victories in 16 games, Leon Goretzka described the team's predicament as "dramatic." The Bayern midfielder reflected on a challenging mental state amid the disappointment of failing to effect a turnaround following the disastrous 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Flick finds himself in the line of fire from German media, some of whom are calling for his dismissal a year ahead of the 2024 UEFA Euro, which Germany will host.

In fact, the former Bayern coach has reached a critical juncture in his career and is facing what is presumed to be the most significant challenge of his coaching life. While Rudi Voeller, the sporting director of the German association, has backed the 2020 treble winner, he demanded improved results soon.

With test matches against Japan and France coming up in September, Flick utilized friendlies against Ukraine, Poland, and Columbia to test alternative tactics but failed. Striker icon Voeller indicated that some current players would not make the cut for September due to their lack of quality.

The prevailing negative atmosphere is overshadowing the association's attempts to regain fans' appreciation. Instead, approval figures for the German national team have dropped, with only 23 percent of voters expressing faith in Flick's coaching abilities.

TV viewership has declined to an average of only 5.7 million for the recent three games, compared to an average of 9.95 million viewers during the last three years of Flick's predecessor, Joachim Loew.

German record international Lothar Matthaeus described the situation as a disaster, sparking a controversial debate about Flick's future. The former Bayern captain labeled the team's performance as "incomplete on all stages" and portrayed the German team as thoroughly unsettled and far from a satisfactory mental and competitive condition.

Flick acknowledged the lack of progress but remained optimistic regarding the 2024 tournament. He announced plans to embark on a new stage after the summer break. Although he ruled out stepping down, he confessed to being caught "in a situation I have never been in before."

The German coach conceded, "We have failed, entirely failed."

Flick plans to use the summer break for intensive analysis and then announce a group of first-choice players in September. From that point forward, he intends to rely on them as a constant lineup to establish stability. Enditem

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