The German national soccer team is sticking to national coach Joachim Löw and is going into the European Championship year 2021 with the 60-year-old. The German Soccer Association (DFB) announced on Monday. “Together, we are looking purposefully and focused on the further preparations for the EM in the next year”, it said in a broadcast.
Despite the historical 0: 6 defeat in Spain and increasing criticism, the DFB continues to trust its record national coach. The presidium had “agreed by mutual agreement to continue unreservedly the path of renewing the national team with national coach Joachim Löw, which has been taken since March 2019,” the DFB announced on Monday after several conferences.
Löw has been the DFB national coach for more than 14 years and, after several strong tournaments, won the World Cup in Brazil in 2014. From the end of the preliminary round as defending champion in Russia 2018, however, the criticism of the ex-Innsbruck and ex-Austria coach grew. Löw made a change during the European Championship qualification for the upcoming tournament in summer 2021 and sorted out the trio Mats Hummels, Jerome Boateng and Thomas Müller, among others.
Contractually bound until the World Cup in 2022
After the 6-0 defeat against Spain two weeks ago in Seville, Löw came under pressure like never before. Experts and the media demanded an immediate resignation, the confidence expressed by DFB sports director Oliver Bierhoff did not stop the following debates about an immediate separation. Löw has a contract with the DFB until 2022, so he is contractually bound to the DFB not only until the European Championship finals in summer 2021, but also until the World Cup in Qatar.
“The national coach will take all the necessary measures to play an exciting European Championship in 2021 with the team,” said the DFB. “The national coach’s assessment also receives approval that subsequent tournaments – specifically the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and the 2024 European Championship, which will take place in their own country – must already play a role as perspectives and sporting goals in further sporting and personal considerations at this point in time . “
Common path will be continued
Seven months before the European Championship, the DFB is continuing along the path taken by the national coach. In Seville, Löw had announced that it would come to terms with the worst defeat of his term in office. The 0: 6 has severe aftermath, after all, until the start of preparations for the European Championship finals with three home games against France, Portugal and Hungary, there is only one international phase in March.
The seventh major tournament as head coach will now mean another single record for the national coach. The coach, who accompanied 189 internationals and has been in office longer than any other current national coach worldwide, could even break the 200 internationals mark next summer.
