End of an era: Loew bows out of German leadership after 15 years

June 30 – Outgoing Germany coach Joachim Loew rued his team’s missed opportunities in their 2-0 defeat by England on Tuesday as his 15-year spell in charge of Die Mannschaft came to a disappointing end.

Thomas Mueller’s sitter nine minutes from the end, when he fired wide with the goal at his mercy, will last long in the memory for Loew as the curtain came down on his illustrious career with the national team.

“It’s a huge disappointment. The players are gutted. It’s very quiet in the dressing room,” said the 61-year-old, who steps down to be replaced by former assistant Hansi Flick.

“In games like this, it is crucial to convert all goal chances, which we didn’t do, neither through Timo Werner nor Thomas Mueller. I don’t blame anyone, normally Mueller would have put that away. It’s unusual that he didn’t, but these things happen.

“We had hoped for so much more in this tournament. I am sad that the enthusiasm at home is now gone after a game. The quality is there, we had a good mentality and the team worked very hard but we were not consistent enough.”

“Many players are still young and I think many of them will be at the top of their game in 2024,” he added, with Germany to host the next European Championship.

Midfielder Toni Kroos said the loss was a “very, very bitter” pill to swallow.

“Until 1-0 we had played a decent game. When you go out in the last 16, it’s disappointing, even though we came through a difficult group.”

Germany qualified from Group F alongside France and Portugal, but all three teams exited in the last 16.

German captain Manuel Neuer paid tribute to the departing Loew, whose tenure brought the highs of winning the World Cup in 2014 but the lows of finishing bottom of their group four years later in Russia.

“Joachim Loew has shaped a great era. It’s very sad that it ends like this for him,” said Germany’s long-time goalkeeper.

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