Joachim Low: Germany head coach to leave national team job after Euro 2020, Jurgen Klopp linked

ByJames Kilpatrick

Updated 09/03/2021 at 14:15 GMT

Joachim Low's contract was due to expire in 2022 following the completion of the Qatar World Cup, but instead he will leave his role that he has held for 15 years once the upcoming European championships concludes this summer. Low famously oversaw Germany's 2014 World Cup success in Brazil. It has not taken long for Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp to be linked with the role.

Joachim Low will step down as Germany boss after the European championships in the summer and Jurgen Klopp has already been linked with the job.

Low has been the head coach since 2006 and led Die Mannschaft to 2014 World Cup glory in Brazil.

During his tenure Germany was runner-up at Euro 2008 and won the 2017 Confederations Cup. He was also in charge for their famous 7-1 victory over Brazil in the 2014 World Cup semi-final.

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"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," Low said in a statement.

"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 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.

"I am and will remain grateful to the DFB, which has always provided me and the team with an ideal working environment."

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DFB President Fritz Keller said: "I have great respect for Joachim Low's decision.

"The DFB knows what it has in Jogi, he is one of the greatest coaches in world football.

"Jogi Low has had German football like no other for years. Not only because of his sporting achievements, but also because of his empathy and humanity.

"The fact that he informed us about his decision at an early stage is very decent. He gives us, the DFB, the necessary time to calmly, and with a sense of proportion, name his successor."

KLOPP: I'M NOT AVAILABLE

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said on Tuesday that he has no plans of replacing compatriot Low.

Klopp has three years to run on his current deal at Liverpool and said he had always honoured his contract in his previous roles at Mainz 05 and Borussia Dortmund.

"Will I be available for the German national team job in the summer? No," Klopp told reporters ahead of the second leg of their last-16 Champions League tie against RB Leipzig.

"Low did an incredible job for so many years, the longest servant we had in Germany.

"I understand he wants to have this highlight at the European Championship. Somebody else will do the job and with the amount of really good German managers at the moment, the German FA will find a good solution."

Additional reporting from Reuters.

OUR VIEW - GOOD TIMING FOR LOW, KLOPP NEXT?

Many would argue Low should have been sacked at the end of the 2018 World Cup after losses to Mexico and South Korea saw them exit at the group stage. Those people were probably right.

Low, no stranger to a black rollneck jumper, was already facing pressure entering the showpiece event in Russia after a highly disappointing 2-0 defeat to France in the Euro 2016 semi-final.

It has been seven years since Germany had a ruthless goalscoring machine up front in the shape of Miroslav Klose and Low has been unsuccessful in replacing his goals.

Deciding to leave after the Euros was a good idea. The 61-year-old can either go out this summer in a blaze of glory or quickly remove himself from any potential post-tournament backlash.

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So who next? With Jurgen Klopp under pressure at Liverpool it would not be too great a stretch to see him take it on and newly-crowned Scottish Premiership champion Steven Gerrard replace him at Liverpool.

Whether Klopp would want to trade club management for a national team job is another question.

But there is always the remit to develop youth inside the Germany national setup and their U21s boss Stefan Kuntz will also be a strong contender for the prestigious role.

GERMAN VIEW - THREE YEARS TOO LATE

One has to say that Low's removal was overdue. It comes three years too late - three lost years for the DFB.

The DFB announcement on the resignation of Low after the European Championship in the summer contains 457 words - none of them deal with the future beyond the European Championship.

The future which is so important for the national sports association with the largest number of members in the world, whose image has suffered so much in recent years.

Germany had the worst World Cup performance since 1938 in Russia. The inglorious farewell to Mesut Ozil, a lukewarm World Cup analysis, a (later revoked) relegation from the Nations League and a leadership crisis in the DFB, and alarm bells ringing from the DFB youth division. Not to mention the highest international defeat since 1931 - 6-0 against Spain.

All of this alongside failed personnel changes, illustrated by Low's 180-degree turn on Thomas Müller, Jérôme Boateng and Mats Hummels, made it clear that his time was up.

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