Berlin, Four-time winner Germany will play a friendly against a high-profile opponent going into the World Cup year, coach Hansi Flick has said.
“We has been an inquiry from England, there have been inquiries from Holland and Spain,” Flick told public broadcasters ZDF in an interview published Friday on their website.
A final decision is to come after the draw for the 2022/23 Nations League group stage set for December 16. England and Spain could be possible opponents for Germany in June and September which would make a March friendly unlikely.
Flick said he wants the first game of the year at home on March 26 against a non-European opponent, with South Africa reportedly the preferred opponent. An away friendly a few days could them pit them against a European top side.
The World Cup is set for November 21-December 18 in Qatar, and the group stage draw for it is on April 1. Germany qualified without major problems in a rather weak group, and Flick is yet to face a major opponent since taking the job in summer.
“We want to be as successful as possible. We can’t guarantee success but we will be well prepared,” Flick said, looking ahead at the World Cup.
Flick will soon travel to Qatar with team director Oliver Bierhoff to inspect accommodation options.
He said he and the players were also taking the human rights controversy around the host nation very seriously and pledged: “We will deal with it
Source: Bahrain News Agency