Joachim Löw forgets Hansi Flick

By Sigi Heinrich

Then he wanted to be the first again. Joachim Löw, always known as “Jogi” despite his high position as national coach of the German national soccer team, left the charter plane before all the other players after landing in Nuremberg. It was almost a little symbolic, just as if he wanted to leave everything behind him now. Also his team, which only won one of four games at this European Championship. That's not exactly what you would call a big booty. Löw had already been at his wits' end before this tournament, especially since he, perhaps even inspired by a certain premonition, anticipated his retirement. He was the only trainer who knew that a new phase of life would begin after the European Championships.

Other colleagues who were fired because of their results, such as the Dutchman Frank de Boer, did not have this certainty. As far as his future was concerned, Löw was no longer dependent on the outcome of the games of his chosen kickers. And so it seemed opportune for him to experiment again, especially since he was always told that there was little he loved more than trying out tactical variants. He was also known as Jürgen Klinsmann's prompter during Jürgen Klinsmann's time and his ideas led Germany to the 2014 World Cup title. That will never be forgotten. This title is and remains Löw’s legacy. Sure, now it's bubbling to the surface again like the hot waters in Iceland. And there is more than just a touch of melancholy involved. Representing the success is “Campo Bahia”, the accommodation of the national team in Brazil, where the famous team spirit took hold of all the active players. It was a total pampering program for the DFB squad and Löw also took advantage of this in the media by allowing himself to be filmed as he relaxed and dipped his toes in the water on the beach. Completely in relaxation mode, which is where the title came from. After 2018, Löw would have had to leave Four years later it was just a plain hotel in Moscow to make do with. No extra sausages that were fried. Just a bed, a dining room and elimination after the preliminary round. The beach was missing, everything was missing. Not even a ghost watched over the sleep of the best German football players. Many people around the DFB team suspected and even knew that after the World Cup in Russia, it would have been the best time to rebuild. Instead, Joachim Löw was allowed to take several espressos in his home town of Freiburg. A break. Nobody had the courage to suggest that he resign. Nobody from the DFB, not even Oliver Bierhoff, the manager in charge of the national team. After the last espresso, Löw announced that he felt a great desire to initiate the generational change and to accompany it, especially since the most highly paid national coach in the world had been presented with a contract until the end of the World Cup next year by a then blinded DFB president. “Cambo Bahia” has been brought back to life He fired Müller, Hummels and Boateng. No, he threw them out of the team in a big way, only to ruefully get two of them back for the European Championships. At the European Championships, not before, which left no chance of getting used to Hummels and Müller again. And “Campo Bahia” was brought back to life. Well, Herzogenaurach isn't exactly a sun-drenched beach area in Germany. But it is the headquarters of the German supplier and so small bungalows, a common room and everything a football player needs when he is not doing his lavishly paid job were built for the troubled footballer souls. Only, I haven't heard of a sandbox, which if there really wasn't one, would have been pretty negligent. Because of memories and stuff. But it was all of no use, not even the publicly celebrated walks in the English Garden in Munich right before the games in the Allianz Arena helped. Thomas Müller & Co. were housed in Herzogenaurach. © APA/afp / CHRISTOF STACHE

Football Germany has become second class. With all their eyes on them, everyone ran to their doom with the new and unfamiliar three-man chain. It's not the end of an era, it's a brutally hard landing after a period that has recently been characterized more by dreams than reality. In addition, Joachim Löw wasn't exactly a good loser. He didn't say a single sentence to his successor Hansi Flick, who was also assistant coach under him in the DFB before he led FC Bayern to six major titles in a short space of time. Of course, Löw doesn't leave behind a pile of broken pieces, the players are far too good for that, but a little message to Flick would have done him good. But perhaps the deep disappointment has paralyzed the vocal cords. It would be understandable after 15 years in office and an end that makes so many things that were good forgotten in one fell swoop. That's a shame but even in this case it's just life itself. It is and remains not a dream concert. Also and especially in football with all its imponderables, surprises and coincidences.

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Joachim Löw forgets Hansi Flick

Joachim Löw's term as German national coach came to an end this Tuesday at Wembley Stadium in London after 15 years. Our columnist Sigi Heinrich takes a look back.

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