Flick: Winning the double is basically mandatory at Bayern

Bayern Munich coach Hansi Flick is well aware of the expectations he will have to live up to among supporters, acknowledging winning the double will effectively be "mandatory" every year.

Flick joined Bayern before the 2019-20 season as assistant coach to Niko Kovac, but after the Croatian's departure in November, the 55-year-old stepped up to the main job at the Allianz Arena.

Initially hired on an interim basis and then until the end of the season, Flick oversaw an improvement on the field that also returned Bayern to the top of the table, having previously been floundering below the Champions League qualification spots.

With Bayern at the summit when the coronavirus pandemic led to the Bundesliga's suspension, the club handed Flick a three-year contract earlier this month, though he accepts such a deal does not necessarily buy him security – only success can do that.

"At FC Bayern, the double is basically mandatory and everyone longs for the treble," he told Bayern's 51 magazine.

"You always have to aspire to constantly improve and get the most out of your dispositions or skills. I don't exempt myself from that.

"Of course, in the end it's about titles, [but] today, winning alone is not enough. But I can fully identify with the fact that Bayern have the ambition to inspire their fans beyond 1-0.

"When I see Serge Gnabry scoring two goals against Chelsea, my heart is pounding. The whole way the team works on the pitch embodies it – that's exactly what I did as a player, I always enjoyed putting myself at the service of the team, and that's also very style-defining in my work as a coach."

Flick accepts he cannot inspire success on his own, however, explaining how he tries to work with coaches who can help him in specific areas.

"I always try to get people on my team who are better than me in certain things. That can cause friction, but they also lead to further development," he said.

"Why shouldn't I involve my employees, my closest confidants, in the processes? I want to get an idea – opinions are required, and in a team, everyone is equally important. That's how I tick, that's how we do here. You only have success together."

With German clubs back in training, May 9 had been earmarked as a potential date for the resumption of the Bundesliga behind closed doors.

However, that is now in doubt after coronavirus cases began to increase again, with a second lockdown not being ruled out.