Joachim Low will step down as the head coach of Germany this summer, a year earlier than planned.
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He was contracted to lead Germany through the 2022 World Cup, but Low asked the German FA to leave this summer after the 2020 European Championships.
Joachim Low, 61, has been in charge of Die Mannschaft since 2006 and won the 2014 World Cup, as well as reaching the final of Euro 2008 and Germany qualified for every major tournament since he was promoted from being Jurgen Klinsmann’s assistant.
The German national team has been incredibly consistent under his stewardship, but they crashed out at the group stage of the 2018 World Cup and Low has put his faith in a new generation of talent which has endured growing pains in recent years.
Here is the statement from Low, who will go down as one of the greatest managers in national team history.
“I take this step very consciously, full of pride and enormous gratitude, but at the same time continue to be very motivated when it comes to the upcoming European Championship tournament,” Joachim Low said. “Proud because it is something very special and an honor for me to be involved in my country and because I have been able to work with the best footballers in the country for almost 17 years and support them in their development.
“I have great triumphs with them and painful defeats, but above all many wonderful and magical moments - not just winning the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. I am and will remain grateful to the DFB, which has always provided me and the team with an ideal working environment. I still feel the unconditional will as well as great energy and ambition for the upcoming European Championship. I will do my best to make our fans happy and successful at this tournament. I also know that this applies to the entire team.”
What, and who, is next for Germany? Jurgen Klopp...
Jurgen Klopp is the obvious name linked with the job, and this would coincide nicely with his Liverpool team needing a huge rebuild.
Klopp, 53, has spoken about wanting to coach Germany one day, and perhaps that day has arrived a lot sooner than he expected.
With Liverpool struggling along and some believing that Steven Gerrard (following his success at Rangers) would be the perfect replacement for Klopp, perhaps this summer is the right time to make all of those moves? It still seems a little early for Klopp and Gerrard.
Klopp dismissed reports he would be appointed the next manager of Germany, saying it will be somebody else.
“I will not be available as a potential coach of the German national team in the summer or after the summer,” Klopp said. “I have three years left at Liverpool. It’s a simple situation; you sign a contract and you try to stick to that.”
“Jogi Low did an incredible job for so many years. He’s been one of the most successful [Germany coaches]. I understand he wants to have this highlight of a Euros, and then someone else will do the job. There’s lots of good German managers.”
It will be intriguing to see who takes charge of Germany, and if the likes of Bayern Munich head coach Hansi Flick (Low’s former assistant coach) would be enticed to take the job, while U21 head coach Stefan Kuntz is rumored to be among the favorites.
With Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Leroy Sane, Jamal Musiala and many other young talents coming through, the German national team has a bright future whoever takes charge.
Now all the focus will be on Low ending on a high in the European Championships this summer, as they are in a tough Group F with France, Portugal and Hungary and all of their games will be played in Munich.
This is a chance for Low to show he can work his magic one last time.