Hansi Flick has been fired as head coach of the German national team, the German Football Association announced on Sunday.

The decision comes after Germany’s 4-1 defeat to Japan in a friendly on Saturday, which was their fourth loss in their last five matches.

Flick, who was appointed as Germany coach in August 2021, had a successful spell in charge of Bayern Munich but was unable to replicate that success with the national team, and his position had been under pressure for some time.

The DFB said in a statement that the decision to fire Flick was made “after careful consideration” and that it was “in the best interests of the team.”

Rudi Völler, the DFB’s director of football, will take over as interim coach for Germany’s next match, a friendly against France on Tuesday.

Mixed results were present during Flick’s time as the coach of Germany.

He started his reign with a bang, winning his first five matches.

However, the team’s form then dipped, and they failed to qualify from their group at the 2022 World Cup.

They have also lost their last four matches.