And just like that, Joachim Low sees his 15-year reign in charge of the German national team come to an end.<\/p>\n
With Germany\u2019s<\/a> 2-0 defeat to England<\/a> in the last 16 of Euro 2020<\/a>, Low officially bows out, and with his departure, questions will inevitably begin to materialize over his legacy.<\/p>\n In charge of Die Mannschaft, <\/em>Low oversaw one of the golden eras of German football, which culminated in a World Cup<\/a> success in 2014.\u00a0 But he also steered the reigns during some of the darkest days in German national team history, which included a World Cup group stage exit four years later – the only time in history that has happened.<\/p>\n Additionally, the last three years since the calamity in Russia were marked by excruciating inconsistency and uncertainty, concluding with the defeat to England – the first time Germany lost to their Anglo rivals in a competitive knockout fixture since 1966.<\/p>\n Therefore, Low\u2019s overall legacy is complex and mirky.\u00a0 How should Germany and the rest of international football remember him?<\/p>\n From 2008-2014, the German national team were a menace.<\/p>\n Under Low (who was appointed in 2006), this is how they finished in major tournaments during that period: runners-up in Euro 2008, semi-finalists in the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012, and then winners in the 2014 World Cup.\u00a0 From July 2010 to June 2012, Germany won 15 consecutive international competitive matches –\u00a0a world record<\/a>.\u00a0 \u00a0After winning the nation\u2019s fourth world championship, Low\u2019s side received the highest ever points total<\/a> in the famed World Football Elo Ratings, a statistical ranking of the best international teams.<\/p>\n Low\u2019s masterful integration of Germany\u2019s rising stars during South Africa\u2019s World Cup in 2010 might be his best work as national team boss – even better than winning the whole competition four years later.\u00a0 Germany\u2019s evisceration of England and Argentina<\/a> in the knockout stages – by a combined score of 8-1 – epitomized the greatness of Low.\u00a0 Despite fielding one of Germany\u2019s youngest ever<\/a> tournament squads, Low trusted his players to play a quick counterattacking style, as Thomas Muller, Mesut Ozil, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski put on legendary performances.\u00a0 The demolition of Diego Maradona\u2019s (and Lionel Messi\u2019s) Argentina in Cape Town is still one of the greatest tactical masterpieces in World Cup history.<\/p>\n Of course, when evaluating Low\u2019s legacy as German boss, the first mention should <\/em>be his triumph in Brazil\u2019s<\/a> 2014 World Cup.\u00a0 Despite getting his tactics wrong in the last 16 near defeat to Algeria (playing an absurdly high defensive line), he implemented more control and power into Germany for the rest of the tournament, including his decision to return star defender Philipp Lahm to right-back from midfield, allowing the team to play a 4-2-3-1 formation.\u00a0 In their final three matches, Germany conceded only once as a result (a meaningless 90th-minute\u00a0goal against Brazil).<\/p>\n And let\u2019s not forget about Brazil. 7-1.\u00a0 In Brazil. Against the five-time world champions.\u00a0 Four goals in six minutes.\u00a0 One of the most incredible results in football history.\u00a0 That was Low\u2019s victory, and he deserves to be remembered for it.<\/p>\n Only six men have won<\/a> international trophies as manager of Germany (including the country’s years as West Germany).\u00a0 Low is one of them.\u00a0 The German public, along with the rest of the world, cannot and must not forget that.<\/p>\n And if it were not for the dominance of Spain<\/a> – one of the greatest international sides in history – Germany probably would have won more trophies under Low.<\/p>\n If Low left Germany after 2014, he would most likely have gone down as one of the greatest international managers of all time.\u00a0 However, that was never really a realistic possibility, especially considering his desire to win a European championship to complement his world title.\u00a0 And yet, in the seven years since Germany\u2019s glory in Brazil, the story for Low in tournaments has been significantly worse: semi-finals in Euro 2016, a group stage exit in the 2018 World Cup and now a last 16 defeat in Euro 2020.<\/p>\n Low did win the Confederations Cup in 2017 with a new and younger squad, which was supposed to signal change and usher in another new golden age of German football.\u00a0 Players such as Joshua Kimmich, Antonio Rudiger, Leon Goretzka, Julian Draxler, Emre Can and Timo Werner dominated that tournament. Low should have incorporated them more effectively in Russia a year later, especially considering how Germany looked and played worn out in Euro 2016.\u00a0 However, Low remained loyal to the old guard who won it all in Brazil, particularly in the opening 1-0 defeat to Mexico.<\/p>\n The 2018 team lacked any form of cohesion, as Low could not figure out how to set up his supremely talented squad.\u00a0 It could have been arrogance since Low\u2019s Germany sides had always made at least the semi-finals of every competition under his watch.\u00a0 There was no way Mexico, Sweden and South Korea would prevent that.\u00a0 But Germany were embarrassed, losing twice and finishing bottom of their group.\u00a0 It was the most disgraceful exit in national team history. And it happened with Joachim Low in charge.<\/p>\n Just like people should not forget his peak in 2014, they should also not forget his nadir in 2018.<\/p>\n The German FA should have sacked Low after the 2018 debacle.\u00a0 No other national team manager would have survived it.\u00a0 But due to the combination of loyalty to Low and the lack of any reasonable successor to take over, he was allowed to remain in charge, promising an improvement in results.<\/p>\n However, performances under Low never got better.\u00a0 Germany finished last in their UEFA Nations League<\/a> group (behind the Netherlands and France), scoring three goals and conceding seven.\u00a0 This included a 3-0 drubbing to the Dutch, which was Germany\u2019s largest-ever defeat to their western neighbours.<\/a>\u00a0 Clearly, zero progress was taking shape.<\/p>\n Qualification for Euro 2020 went relatively smooth but doubts about Low\u2019s abilities returned after football resumed post-Covid-enforced lockdowns.\u00a0 Mediocre Nations League displays for Germany came to a crescendo in November 2020, when they were throttled 6-0 by Spain.\u00a0 It was the nation\u2019s largest defeat<\/a> in an international match since 1931.<\/p>\n Calls for the German FA to sack Low (or for him to resign) immediately followed.\u00a0 Little had improved since 2018.\u00a0 Low had clearly failed to show he was the right man to lead Germany into the future.\u00a0 His decision in March to announce his departure<\/a> after Euro 2020 was the right thing to do.\u00a0 Public opinion turned positively toward him once again. Maybe he could guide one more tournament run to cement his legacy.<\/p>\n Instead, Germany lost to North Macedonia<\/a> in 2022 Qatar qualifiers on home soil – the first World Cup qualifying defeat for Die Mannschaft <\/em>in 20 years<\/a>.\u00a0 Then came an inconsistent final tournament for Low: four matches, with one win, a draw and two defeats.\u00a0 The end for Low was essentially a microcosm of his tenure: standout performances (victory over Portugal) to go along with incomprehensibly poor results (draw with Hungary, defeat to England).<\/p>\n Now, Low\u2019s time is officially up.\u00a0 As he exits the German national scene, how will he be remembered? He presided over one of the greatest eras in German football history, bringing home the greatest international prize in the process.\u00a0 But he also overstayed his welcome and remained in charge of a team that never improved after the disaster of 2018.\u00a0 He became like an old school teacher who has clearly lost his way but refuses to retire, believing he still has something to contribute.<\/p>\n Clearly, Low had nothing left to give to Germany.\u00a0 But the question now remains: will the country forgive him for it?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Main Photo<\/p>\nJoachim Low: A Complicated German Reign<\/h2>\n
Periods of Dominance<\/h3>\n
Low’s Greatest Triumph<\/h3>\n
The 2018 Disgrace Under Joachim Low<\/h3>\n
Recent Downfalls<\/h3>\n
The Verdict<\/h3>\n