World Cup-winning Joachim Loew will step down as Germany coach after 17 years following this summer’s Euro tournament, the German Football Federation (DFB) said in a statement on Tuesday.
It said Loew had asked to be released out of his contract which runs until the 2022 FIFA World Cup after the June 11 to July 11 continental tournament.
“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,” Loew said in the statement.
“I have been able to work with the best footballers in the country for almost 17 years and supported them in their development.
“I have had great triumphs with them and painful defeats, but above all many wonderful and magical moments —- not just winning the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.”
The 61-year-old Loew became assistant to national team coach Juergen Klinsmann in 2004 and became his successor two years later.
He led Germany to the 2014 World Cup title, the Euro 2008 final, plus semi-finals at the 2010 World Cup and Euro tournaments 2012 and 2016.
Loew did this with a golden generation of players, including Thomas Mueller, Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Sami Khedira and Mesut Oezil.
But fortunes changed when Germany crashed out in the group stage of the 2018 World Cup.
A subsequent reshaping of the team is yet to bring top results.
Germany qualifying for Euro 2020 has been postponed to this year, but playing poorly last autumn highlighted by a 6-0 defeat against Spain.
Loew, who spent most of his playing career at Freiburg and whose teams as club coach included VfB Stuttgart, Fenerbahce and Austria Vienna, is the most-capped Germany coach.
He has 189 matches to date, of which he has won 120, drawn 38 and lost 31.
DFB president Fritz Keller praised Loew as “one of the greatest coaches in world football.”
He shaped German football like no other over the years and helped it to achieve the highest international reputation.”
Loew will be in charge for three upcoming World Cup 2022 qualifiers and then the build-up to the Euros and the tournament where Germany face tough group games against world champions France, title-holders Portugal and Hungary in Munich.
“I still feel the unconditional will as well as great energy and ambition. I will do my best to give our fans great pleasure and to be successful at this tournament. I also know that this applies to the entire team,” Loew said
