By Tafadzwa Chigandiwa
Germany national team coach, Joachim Low has announced that he will step down as team manager after Euro 2020, bringing his 15-year marriage with the DFB-Elf to an end.
German Football Association, the DFB announced the new development on twitter, “Joachim #Löw will step down as national team head coach after @EURO2020,” the DFB officially confirmed the news.
The manager said, “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.”
“Proud because it is something very special and an honour 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.”
Despite his decision to step down before leading Germany to the Euro 2020 in June as the man in charge, Low promised to remain focused.
“I still feel the unconditional will as well as great energy and ambition for the upcoming European Championship,” he said.
“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.”
The 61-year-old tactician previously served as Jurgen Klinsman assistant between 2004 and 2006 before he was appointed head coach.
Low is well known for leading the Die Mannschaft to their fourth World Cup (WC) title for the first time since the Germany reunification in 1990.
At a WC tournament that took place in Brazil in 2014.
The 2014 World Cup winners are known for thrashing hosts (Brazil) 7-1 in the semi-finals, a record humiliating result that saw Germany progressing to the final against Argentina and won 1-0 in the extra time courtesy of Mario Gotze’s strike.
Under Low, Germany reached the semi-finals of the Euro 2016 and lost to hosts France.
In 2018, they were knocked out of the World Cup in the group stages.
This was their first group stage elimination from tournament since 1938.
