The German Football Association (DFB) has confirmed that Joachim Löw will step down as head coach after nearly 15 years at the helm. The iconic manager ends his glittering career having won both the World Cup and the Confederations Cup with the German national team.

End of an era

The German Football Association has confirmed that the head coach of Germany’s national football team, Joachim Löw, will step down after the European Championships in July. After nearly 15 years at the head of the German outfit, Löw stated he was “full of pride and enormous gratitude, and yet still with unbroken motivation regarding the upcoming European Championship."

Löw, also known by his nickname “Jogi”, took charge of 189 games for Germany, mustering 120 victories, 38 draws and just 31 losses across his 15-year tenure. The president of the DFB, Fritz Keller, heaped praise on the veteran coach following the decision: “The DFB knows what it has in Jogi, he is one of the greatest coaches in world football,” Keller said. “Löw has shaped German football like hardly anyone else over the years and has helped it achieve the highest international reputation.”

A career of highs and Löws

Joachim Löw has been in charge of Germany since 2006 and has forged a highly decorated career, winning the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and the Confederations Cup in 2017. Germany also finished runner up in the 2008 Euros and third place, behind Spain and the Netherlands, in the 2010 World Cup.

Löw has also won several individual awards since taking over the reins of the German national team, including the German Football Manager of the Year and the FIFA World Coach of the Year in 2014. He has also been awarded the Silbernes Lorbeerblatt (Germany’s highest sports award) and the civilian Bundesverdienstkreuz am Bande (Federal Cross of Merit).

Löw has also experienced his fair share of disappointment during his tenure. He faced faced heavy criticism after Germany crashed out of the group stages at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, culminating in calls for his resignation following Germany’s 6 - nil defeat to Spain last November. He also faced heavy criticism for deciding not to call up Thomas Müller, Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels in March 2019, although he has hinted he may yet reverse his decision.

Despite the more recent controversies, Joachim Löw will undoubtedly be remembered for his successes. Prior to the 2018 World Cup, Löw had guided Germany’s national team to the semi-finals, at the very least, of every tournament he had been a part of.