What Guardiola, Alaba and Kimmich prophesied

Hansi Flick is not for those who are annoyed when they are reminded of Pep Guardiola. On The Contrary.

The Catalans, the FC Bayern München between 2013 and 2016, is for him “the best coach,” said Flick in February SPORT1Demand: “I got to know him here and learned to appreciate in Munich in my time at the DFB. He is an exceptional trainer. The way how he can play football, is for many an Inspiration.”

The current white master coach, how to be a club benefit today of Guardiola’s work. And that he has delivered to him the idea that he could build on.

Guardiola saw Alabas potential as an interior defender

Already five years ago, for example, Guardiola saw that David Alaba would be as a Central defender more than a stopgap.

“He can be, without a doubt, one of the best interior defenders in the world,” said Guardiola in September 2015, the kicker.

Due to a number of infringement cases in the defense (Holger Badstuber, Javi Martinez, Mehdi Benatia) had Guardiola pulled the Austrians at the time, for long periods of time, from the left to the inside – where he has already proven. Of Alabas flexibility Guardiola was so impressed, that he raised him up to him “our God”, what was by his standards a gigantic compliment.

Ultimately Alaba but returned again in the left-back role, where he was desperately needed.

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Flick kept the idea – despite a setback

Flick but kept Alabas centre-back qualities in the head and continued on, though not everyone was convinced.

Alabas change of position had not yet been of predecessor Niko Kovac initiated, ironically, in its last League game against Eintracht Frankfurt. That it was lost with 1:5 and Kovac took the Job that made expert Lothar Matthäus Sky among other things, the “incomprehensible” castling with Alaba responsible (“You’ve got two Central defenders, but a right to play and provides Alaba, who is actually a left-back, in Central defence”).

Flick undeterred, but remained, left Alaba inside and Alphonso Davies on the left. The success was, Flick was confirmed, as well as Guardiola’s prophecy. And it was not an isolated case.

Joshua Kimmich praised early on the dimensions

Also in the fall of 2015, Guardiola was very sure that a fresh out of Bayern that is committed to Talent would dominate German football in a sustainable manner.

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“Jogi Löw has a new Option. I’m sure He will, sooner or later, national players,” he said about the young man he praised as a “madness of an investment in the future”, the “embody absolutely everything”, “what a footballer needs”.

Joshua Kimmich was the name of the young man – the started well known, in fact, large and under the Flick finally the Leader has developed.

Each was not sure if the anthem on Kimmich was sincere.

“Almost, my son”

Guardiola is known to praise his players rather eleven times often than once too seldom. Especially his statement that he would like “a thousand Dante’s” in his team was the Running Gag – the Dante, he had, he allowed, finally, to VfL Wolfsburg to pull (a reason, incidentally, why at the time, the space for Alaba inside had become).

And, in the case of Kimmich Guardiola had to recognize at the time that the praise was tactical because he’s not using it due to the former competitive situation.

“Very unfair” was said at the time, not Kimmich, but Guardiola in a press conference after a game against the Kimmichs Ex-club VfB Stuttgart. The spontaneous idea of the opposing coaches Alex angry that Kimmich would in the case of a VfB-return a fairer share of playing time, from the ironed Guardiola immediately: “no, he stays here. Joshua Kimmich is almost my son.”

An Almost-son, who had to comprehend it, ultimately, as a compliment, if a wild lecture held Almost a dad to him like once against Borussia Dortmund, as a tactical statement, not really with him arrived. After Guardiola’s departure Kimmich stressed again and again how much he has to thank for the Ex-Coach.

A Flick in the Champions League for the harvest?

Alaba and Kimmich were two reasons for a further prophecy that the coach of the year announced that just before he left Munich.

“Bayern Munich has a great future with these players,” he showed a sure – immediately after the semi-final in the Champions League against Atlético Madrid in him the hope, to crown his term in office, with a king-class Triumph.

In fact, Bayern Munich, the German football, as you know, in spite of the unlucky geendeten Trainer episodes Carlo Ancelotti and Kovac.

Only too happy to Flick would redeem now sure the unspoken part of the Pep-prophecy: to win with these players in the Champions League.

Guardiola’s son, and Guardiola’s God are the reasons two of the main why the hope is not unfounded.

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