Joachim Löw Tenure

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Löw took over as Germany manager on 12 July 2006, after Klinsmann decided not to renew his contract. He announced he wanted to continue the offensive philosophy developed with Klinsmann. His first game in charge was a 3–0 friendly win against Sweden on 16 August 2006, with Miroslav Klose scoring twice. He had a successful start in qualifying for Euro 2008, with wins over the Republic of Ireland and San Marino. On 7 October 2006, Germany won 2–0 against Georgia, which was the fourth consecutive success for Löw and his team, the best start of a new head coach of the Germany national team ever. The team extended this record to five wins in the next match, a 4–1 victory against Slovakia on 11 October. The Slovaks' strike was the first goal conceded by Germany under Löw's reign. His first loss as manager came in his eighth game on 28 March 2007, an experimental squad lost 0–1 against Denmark. At Euro 2008, Germany defeated Poland 2–0 in their first game, with two goals from Lukas Podolski. In their second game, Germany were beaten 2–1 by Croatia, while in their final group game, against Austria, Löw was sent to the stands by the referee Manuel Mejuto González.

In Their Own Story

The peak of Löw's tenure came at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Germany opened the tournament with a 4–0 win against Portugal, but the defining moment was the semi-final. Germany defeated Brazil 7–1 in Belo Horizonte, a result that stunned the football world. In the final against Argentina on 13 July 2014 at the Maracanã, the match remained 0–0 after 90 minutes. In the 113th minute of extra time, Mario Götze controlled a cross from André Schürrle on his chest and volleyed the ball past Sergio Romero. The 1–0 victory secured Germany's fourth World Cup title. Löw had led Germany to victory at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, the crowning achievement of his tenure.

Reader's Guide

Löw's tenure as Germany manager began on 12 July 2006. His early focus was on qualifying for Euro 2008, where Germany finished second in their qualifying group. At Euro 2008, Germany reached the final but lost 1–0 to Spain. At the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Germany finished third, defeating Uruguay 3–2 in the third-place match. The 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil was the high point. Germany won Group G with seven points, then defeated Algeria, France, and Brazil in the knockout stages before beating Argentina 1–0 in the final. In 2017, Löw led Germany to victory at the FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia. At the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Germany was eliminated in the group stage. In March 2021, Löw announced he would resign after the delayed Euro 2020. Germany was eliminated in the round of 16 by England, and Löw's tenure ended after the tournament.

Did You Know?

• Löw has managed (198) and won the most matches (124) of all head coaches of the Germany national football team.
• His first game in charge was a 3–0 win against Sweden on 16 August 2006, with Miroslav Klose scoring twice.
• Löw's first loss as manager came in his eighth game, a 0–1 defeat to Denmark on 28 March 2007.
• At Euro 2008, Löw was sent to the stands by referee Manuel Mejuto González during the group match against Austria.
• Löw led Germany to victory at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil and the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia.