Germany’s National Team after Joachim Loew
In March 2021, after a 2-1 loss to North Macedonia in World Cup qualifying, Joachim Loew announced that he would step down from his role as Germany’s head coach following Euro 2020 after asking to end his contract early. Low, 61, had been contracted until the 2022 World Cup and said at the time he remained motivated for the European Championship tournament in the summer.
Loew took over from Jurgen Klinsmann in August 2006. He guided Die Mannschaft to World Cup success in 2014, the first world up for the unified nation after the team defeated hosts Brazil 7-1 in the semi-finals. He led a team that betting sites like 1xbet alternative were taking bets from around the world. Germany reached the semi-finals of Euro 2016, losing to hosts France. In 2018, they were knocked out of the group stage of the World Cup for the first time while also failing to impress in the inaugural UEFA Nations League campaign.
Euro 2020
Germany was in Group F at Euro 2020, facing heavyweights France and Portugal as well as Hungary, with all their matches set for the Allianz Arena in Munich. Loew had expected to leave his job on a high. Instead, his team’s last-16 defeat to England on 29 June proved to be his final game in charge.
Hansi Flick
Former Bayern Munich boss Hansi Flick has taken over Loew’s somewhat damaged legacy. Soccer experts have suggested that whilst Low’s first 10 years were brilliant, culminating in a World Cup win, the last five years were wasted. Germany has not scored a goal in four of their last two major tournaments, with no clean sheet in seven of these games. Toni Kroos and Ilkay Gündogan may step aside as well as Thomas Müller and Mats Hummels.
Flick must improve the team’s tactics following their Euro 2020 last-16 loss. Individually, the team was good enough to beat England, but it never worked fully as a unit, having no clearly defined identity. Germany’s chances at Euro202 were ultimately undone by a failure to make more of its opportunities not just against England, but against Portugal and then Hungary. There is a good mentality and great will, but this did not convert chances into winning play, with Germany struggling by not yet having a replacement for Miroslav Klose, the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer with 16 goals who retired in 2014.
Flick, Loew’s former assistant, is likely to focus on some excellent younger players. Loew had already stated that the team has many players who have not yet had much tournament experience, adding that it can sometimes take two or three tournaments until the players reach their peak and can deal with stressful situations. In particular focus are players like 18-year-old Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Florian Wirtz and Borussia Dortmund forward Youssoufa Moukoko, the Bundesliga’s youngest scorer at 16.
After a very successful stint in charge of Bayern Munich, Flick will be focusing on the seven World Cup qualifying games this year. He already knows midfielders Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich from their time together at Bayern and Jamal Musiala is expected to be used more having played well in the Euro 2020 game against Hungary but was called on far too late in the match against England.