Joachim Low has ended his 15-year stay as head coach of the German national team. The 61-year-old will be remembered as one of the great coaches in their history. Perhaps even the greatest. And let’s be honest, he’ll be remembered by most people around the world as the guy who does strange and disgusting things on the sidelines during matches. But let’s not put you off reading this story just yet, alright?Germany have always been at the top or very near the top of world football, but they were less than impressive around the turn of the century. An early exit in the 1998 World Cup and two group stage eliminations from the European Championships in 2000 and 2004 got the alarm bells ringing. Not even the 2002 World Cup silver medal couldn’t hide the fact that the German national team was in desperate need of new ideas.Danke Joachim Löw! Thank you for 2014 World Cup and 2017 Confederations Cup. You indeed had an amazing coaching career. ❤️Welcome Hansi Flick! Looking forward to a new exciting era of German football.Die Mannschaft Forever 🖤❤️💛#Germany#Euro2020 pic.twitter.com/yUJxvO4EqJ— Aakriti Singh (@aaqriteesingh) June 30, 2021 In 2006, Germany hosted the World Cup and it was a good chance to return to former glory. The nation didn’t expect their team to lift the trophy, but a massive improvement and a shift in the right directions was a must. Under the guidance of former striker Jurgen Klinsmann and his ambitious assistant Joachim Low, Germany won the bronze medal. And what proved to be their football association’s shrewd move, they handed Low the chance to lead the team after Klinsmann has departed to work in the United States.That was the start of the German revival.German football needed a revolution and Low would be the man to lead it, changing the fate of the country’s football forever. With a revamped, streamlined youth academy system and a pacey, dominating brand of possession football, Low was a coach who advanced the profession.##EDITORS_CHOICE##Low’s team played exciting football and kept racking up the results. But during all this time, fans were put off by the coach’s strange habits. As the action on the pitch unfolded, Low would put fingers up his nose and eat whatever he’d dig out from there. There are videos. But we certainly won’t be including them in this story. You’re free to check them out if you haven’t done so already. But please don’t come running back to complain to us – you have been warned!Back-to-back defeats to Spain in the Euro 2008 final and in the 2010 World Cup semi-finals were frustrating, but the coach couldn’t be blamed for losing against one of the greatest sides ever. Low and his team were on a road to something big, but it wasn’t a road without bumps in it. In 2012, European Championship was a painful experience because of an unexpected semi-final loss against Italy. That was the first time Low’s tactics came under serious criticism. But he remained in his position and, two years later, he repaid it ten-fold.Glory in Brazil (©Gallo Images)The right squad, the right backroom staff, the right preparation, the right mentality and the right tactics — all came together. Germany won the World Cup for the fourth time, first after their success in Italy in 1990. It was the culmination of a decade’s work. Joachim Low had the world at his feet. It was the high point in his coaching career. And from then on – it all went downhill.That was the end of the German revival.The curse has been lifted – England send Germany home and proceed to the EURO 2020 quarter-finalsSemi-final defeat against host nation France in the European Championship two years later meant that Low was hardly going to add a European crown to the World Cup he’d lifted in Brazil. An ageing team from which many of the Brazil heroes had retired left the German in need of fresh ideas. But this time, the irony would strike. Because this time, it was the nose-picking, booger-eating tactician who was holding his national team back. Gross.The tables have turned and Germany ended the 2018 World Cup ended in misery as the Germans finished bottom of their group below Sweden, Mexico and South Korea. Low has overstayed his welcome, but, rather astonishingly, he was allowed to continue and lead the country once again as Euro 2020 approached. Was it the right decision? No, it wasn’t. But still, Joachim will always have memories of 2014 and the glorious days in Brazil.What a career path! Hansi Flick leaves an elite club for an elite national teamIt’s the end of the road for Low’s Germany. The coach leaves his post with a tally of 124 wins and just 33 defeats in the 197 matches he’s taken charge of. He made an entire nation happy and sad since 2006. Not to mention he made millions around the world turn away from their television screens in disgust. Oh, well, nobody’s perfect – not even this world champion.
