Flick focuses on footy philosophy

Hansi Flick wants the focus on his side redirected from politics to competitive matters as they approach their critical encounter with Spain today.

Germany sit third in Group E following their surprise 2-1 loss to Japan, so picking up points against Spain – 7-0 victors over Costa Rica – will be essential.

Some suggested the Germans were distracted by the debate surrounding their decision to stage a pre-match protest, when Germany covered their mouths for the team photo before the match in a protest to highlight they felt silenced by FIFA.

Flick said: “It’s just the way it is. We need to accept a lot of other things about all this noise in the background of what happened before the tournament, and the story with the armband. The main focus for me has been the football.”

Flick admitted the Japan result led to some direct discussions he hopes will help bolster Germany’s chances of avoiding an early tournament exit.

He said: “There were some situations where we made a lot of mistakes. Clearly, I tried to explain that to the team, because it’s important for them to understand and then to implement, and to make sure that they can do what they’ve been told.

“We’re really convinced about our philosophy, how we want to play football. And, of course, we’re going to try to do better.”