Joachim Löw: "Rudy will not play, but Hummels is fit", 26.06.2018

Less than 24 hours before Germany’s final World Cup group game against South Korea on Wednesday (KO 16:00 CEST), the reigning World champions’ preparations are running at full speed, even if a violent storm forced the final training session before the match to be moved. Joachim Löw’s full focus is on the match in Kazan. The head coach spoke about line-up possibilities, the situation in Group F and gave updates on the squad. Joachim Löw on... ...the squad: We have 18 outfield players available for tomorrow. Sebastian Rudy won’t be able to play – the game comes two or three days too early. It makes no sense even with a mask. He’s broken his nose in several places and was put under general anaesthetic. Jerome Boateng will be serving his ban. All our other players are 100% ready to play, including Mats Hummels, who has absolutely no problems anymore and is ready to play. ...Mesut Özil and the other reserves: Mesut impressed hugely in training after the Sweden game, as did Sami Khedira. We also have the options of the other players who haven’t come on yet. ...Thomas Müller: I had a long conversation with Thomas after the Mexico game. We analysed the game using video clips. He’s a very receptive player and he’s very self-critical of his performances. Anyone who knows Thomas knows that he always has a very positive outlook and is always looking to improve. He’s a really important player for us. ...the situation in Group F: I’m not one to go through all the possible scenarios. Of course I’ll be kept up-to-date about the score in the game between Mexico and Sweden so that I can react if need be. But we have to make sure we win our own game – by two goals if possible. It depends on our own performance and we have to do all we can to make use of our strengths. ...vulnerability to counterattacks: We’ve talked about it multiple times. It’s not just down to the defence. We were much better in the transitional plays against Sweden than we were against Mexico. We weren’t always successful, but it was much, much better. We have to keep working on it. ...South Korea: South Korea have strong counterattacking players. That’s something they love to do. They try to adjust to their opponents in defence. They will play aggressively – earlier than Sweden did. They’ll want to win the ball in midfield and they have two or three players who are really strong on the counter; we have to prevent that and we can’t give up possession easily. We won’t be marking Son man-on-man because he’ll take all the freedom his coach allows him. He makes fast runs in behind the defence so our defence has to be alert. We have to make sure we don’t give the ball away – that will be very important for us. ...the feeling within the team after the Sweden game: The mood wasn’t great after the Mexico game. Everyone knew the situation we were in and the pressure was on. After the Sweden game, it was pure joy, a big relief because it would’ve been very hard to go through had we only come away with a point. On the other hand, the team didn’t get carried away because preparations were to carry on the next day. The team knew it was a small step in the direction of the knockout stages and that we have to win against South Korea. I think we will be more focused against South Korea. You can’t spend too much time enjoying the moments at a tournament like this. Whether we take the euphoria with us into the game remains to be seen. The most important thing is that we maintain our focus. ...the starting XI: I’ve seen in training how much the players want to win the match against South Korea. It will depend on many things, including how they perform in training, current form and the games against Mexico and Sweden. I know the qualities of each and every player and I look at what he can do for our team and what value he can add. What types of player are useful against this opponent? There are various criteria which will decide how the team is set up. ...the heat in Kazan: The physios will be very important for us. In 30-degree heat, it’s clear that it’ll be a factor. But we’ve proven in both games that we can play at pace even when it’s hot. I think that the team won’t have any problems with the heat against South Korea. https://www.dfb.de/en/news/detail/joachim-loew-rudy-will-not-play-but-hummels-is-fit-189240/p/2/?no_cache=1&cHash=8b96ada52f3557e6d56e277bf8e833bf

Löw: "We always believed", 24.06.2018

Germany head coach Joachim Löw speaks about the dramatic final moments of the 2-1 win against Sweden in Sochi and the strengths of his team as well as giving the latest injury updates.

Joachim Löw, how did you feel when Toni Kroos scored the winner in the dramatic final seconds of the 2-1 win against Sweden?

Joachim Löw: I was unbelievably happy for him because he’d missed a pass which led to Sweden’s goal and it’s incredibly rare for him to make a mistake like that. He normally has a pass success rate of close to 100%. It was unlucky that it resulted in a goal. I was over the moon that he’d made up for it.

What did you like in the game?

Löw: I liked that we didn’t lose our nerves in the second half and we didn’t start playing in a hectic manner. We always believed that we could turn the game around. We were definitely a bit lucky that we managed to win in injury time with only ten men on the pitch, but we won through our character, by not giving up and by believing in ourselves.

A win which came just before the final whistle...

Löw: It was a thriller full of emotion – especially in the closing stages. We had Julian Brandt’s shot, which hit the post, the chance with Mario Gomez’s header. We tried everything in the last ten minutes and took off a defender despite being a man down. It was pure drama at the end of the game. But all do-or-die games at a tournament like this are balanced on a knife’s edge. It’s not the first time I’ve experienced something like this. It’s definitely great for the neutrals to watch.

Germany could face Brazil in the round of 16...

Löw: I can’t talk about that at the moment because nothing is certain yet. Different things could happen in the other group and we still have to beat South Korea. We’ll take things as they come, then it’s okay.

How will you approach the next “knockout” game against South Korea?

Löw: The players were exhausted after the game, Marco Reus had cramps ten minutes before the final whistle. Jerome Boateng is unavailable, Sebastian Rudy has a broken nose. We need one or two days to recover. Mats Hummels will likely be able to play, which would give us another option in defence.

Is the depth of the squad your biggest strength?

Löw: We have options and the squad is geared to let us exploit all possibilities. Those who haven’t yet played will definitely be needed. Also Mesut Özil and Sami Khedira – both will be needed going forwards.

24 June 2018
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Löw: "We will get back on track", 18.06.2018

The disappointment is high following the 1-0 loss to Mexico in Germany’s 2018 World Cup opener. That goes for the players, the fans and also Joachim Löw. The head coach speaks about why his side lost their first World Cup opener in 36 years, the atmosphere within the team and his plan for the games to come.

How sobering is the 1-0 loss to Mexico?

Joachim Löw: It is very disappointing. Losing our first game is something that we are not accustomed to doing, but there’s always a first time for everything. We didn’t play to our best at all. We obviously need to reflect on what happened and get back on track. We will learn our lessons and be better in the next game.

What was lacking? Efficiency?

Löw: We were poor in the first half and we didn’t play with our usual attacking, passing style, or use the space we were given well enough. Everyone kept getting in each other’s way which led to us losing the ball and having to cover a lot of ground. Mexico sat deeper in the second half and we got a few shots away, but you just always had the feeling that it wasn’t our day.

What’s the atmosphere like within the team?

Löw: Everyone’s feeling a bit down and very, very disappointed. Now we have to stay focused on what’s to come and try to improve. We have more than enough experience to be able to deal with a loss and pick ourselves back up again. But we simply must win this Saturday (vs. Sweden).

Your team also didn’t seem to be in top shape physically.

Löw: We seemed to not be as dynamic as we can be in the first half. We didn’t have the desire or the drive to turn the game around, nor did we have the necessary physical fitness.

Do you have to make radical changes?

Löw: No, we’re not suddenly going to abandon our philosophy! If we play to our best then we have the ability to generate more chances. Everyone looked for the ball to be played to feet yesterday - we have to be better than that. We won’t suddenly stray from our plan though, we just have to get back to utilizing our strengths.

Should you have named more young players in the squad after their performance in the Confed Cup?

Löw: We actually have a relatively young team - we’re a long way away from being an old squad. The players who have been a part of our setup for a longer time bring experience and a high level of quality, even if that didn’t show up yesterday.

Three of the last four World Cup winners have been knocked out in the group stage four years later. Will you be the fourth?

Löw: That will not happen. We will get out of the group. We have every chance to put things right, but we have to let our play do the talking.

18 June 2018
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Löw: "Every team wants to topple us", 11.06.2018

The preparation in South Tyrol for the 2018 World Cup is over, now it’s time for Russia. On Tuesday, Die Mannschaft fly to Moscow. They will prepare for their opening match against Mexico on Sunday from their accommodation in Vatutinki. In an interview, coach Joachim Löw talked about the expectations of the title defenders, the position of being hunted and their opponents in Group F.

Question: Mr. Löw, how often have you been spoken to about Vittorio Pozzo, who is still the only coach to have won the World Cup twice?

Joachim Löw: Not at all in the last few weeks. He is of course a legend, however.

Question: What would it mean to you to be the first coach in 80 years to achieve such a feat?

Löw: To be crowned world champions again would naturally mean a lot. It would be historic. It means as much to the players as it does to the coach. So we will put all our energy and resources towards achieving it.

Question: You fly to Moscow on Tuesday. What’s the general mood in the camp?

Löw: I’m excited to get going. However, I do feel a sense of humility given the difficulty of the task ahead.

Question: What excites you the most?

Löw: I always love being able to work with the team for an extended period of time. Then I get into my rhythm. It’s the day-to-day work on the pitch which I enjoy. The team do too and they can build a stronger connection than when they’re just together briefly. We can communicate more and work harder. I see a lot of development when we have three or four weeks together. At a tournament, I also relish the matches, the competition, the fifty-fifty situations. The comparisons and contests between the best teams from each continent are thrilling.

Question: You have always emphasised how difficult it is to successfully defend a title. What makes this World Cup so complicated?

Löw: The other teams have improved since 2014. France are better, Spain are better, Brazil and Argentina too. When you’re world champions, Confederations Cup winners and no.1 in the FIFA rankings for three or four years, then you’re being hunted down. Every team will want to topple the title defenders. To win a title, everything has to go well. Other factions also certainly play a role though, given that the teams are so similar in quality. Then you need a bit of luck and to stay injury-free. Little things can also have a huge effect. You need to perform at the highest level, be sharp and fully on the ball in every game from the get-go. Otherwise, when it comes to the knock-out rounds, you’ll be heading home rather sharpish.

Question: How has the team prepared for being hunted down?

Löw: We trained for that in March and at the beginning of the training camp. We coaches have tried to convey what’s waiting for then. We want to train for success in the best way possible. As well as physical and tactical sessions, we have worked on our winning mentality. It’s important that we absorb the pressure and discipline ourselves well. Those are the crucial things to remember.

Question: Toni Kroos said that the team is stronger on the ball than in 2014. Yet, there’s some room for improvement off the ball.

Löw: We have hugely developed our playing style. The same can be said for other teams. If we make as many mistakes as we did against Austria, then we’ll be nothing more than an average team. However, if we get the little things right, we’ll be difficult to play against. In terms of attacking, we’re very strong. But the saying goes that good defences win tournaments. It’s a fundamental principle that we need to internalise.

Question: Have you cultivated the team spirit you were after?

Löw: It’s a process and doesn’t just appear out of thin air. At the beginning of training, a few players were quite insecure and asked themselves whether they should be there. You can’t create a concrete sense of unity with 27 players. But since I named the final squad, every player has known he belongs in the team. It was a liberating moment for many of them. Team spirit takes time and develops during the tournament too. The framework is set, because the team know each other very well and we have a strong spine to lead the group. Our more experienced players are also very performance orientated, but always put the team first. There are no egos, only role models for the younger players.

Question: Your team lacks megastars like Neymar, Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. Is that an advantage?

Löw: In 2014 it was certainly an advantage. We didn’t have any one superstar. We strived for success as a team. That team mentality can definitely act in your favour.

Question: What do you think of your group with Mexico, Sweden and South Korea?

Löw: All the teams are at a similarly high level. Sweden and South Korea are awkward sides to play against. Mexico have many tactical and technical qualities. They’re a very strong and dangerous opponent and are good on the ball.

Question: You have extended your contract until 2022. Was that a statement?

Löw: The DFB approached me a long time ago. There’s a mutual respect and trust between us. Now we have a younger generation coming through and that gives me personally a motivational boost. In the last four years, we have seen players like Joshua Kimmich, Timo Werner, Leroy Sané, Nikla Süle, Julian Brandt and Leon Goretzka come onto the scene. It’s a hugely exciting task for me.

11 June 2018
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Joachim Löw: "We won't get worked up about it", 03.06.2018

Joachim Löw was far from happy with his side’s performance in the 2-1 friendly loss to Austria on Saturday, but was happy to see Manuel Neuer back in goal. Looking ahead to the World Cup in Russia, however, and Löw was less concerned. Here’s what the Die Mannschaft coach made of Saturday night’s defeat.

Question: How frustrated are you about the defeat to Austria?

Joachim Löw: I am annoyed, particularly about the way we lost. I cannot remember the last time I saw a defeat so self-inflicted before.

Question: What angers you the most?

Löw: We lost the ball so much. We went into a rut after half time and never came out of it. We let them back into the game. Normally when we take the lead we are good at making the opponents chase. Then we seemed to get tired and we could have wrapped the game up earlier.

Question: Why was that the case this time?

Löw: Nobody was quite on the ball with the opportunities. We started giving the ball away and that allwed them to grown into the game. It did not plan out how we had talked about. There were mistakes and certain things were lacking.

Question: Are you worried with the World Cup just around the corner?

Löw: I accept days like this. The team would have been prepared totally differently in two week time. I won’t lose any sleep over this. No worries. But if were to play like that in Russia we will struggle. There is a lot to digest, but we won’t let ourselves get worked up about this. We will remain calm.

Question: What did you make of Manuel Neuer’s comeback?

Löw: I was very satisfied with his return. He reacted well to certain situations and showed quick thinking too. You could not tell he had been away for so long.

Question: The game was almost called off due to the weather. How did you find that?

Löw: I was going all over the place. Good thing it was only a friendly. But we wanted to avoid injury. The pitch then became playable.

3 June 2018
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Jogi: "Ich wünsche mir die Kanzlerin in Russland", Bild Interview Part 2, 25.05.2018

Weiter geht's mit Jogi Löw (58) und seinen Pappenheimern. Bild konfrontiert den Bundestrainer mit Persönlichkeiten in Lebensgroße und aus Pappe. Nach Neuer, Götze und Müller sind in Teil 2 des Interviews andere WM-Stars dran.

Bild: Messi, Ronaldo, Salah - war hat für Sie die beste Saison gespielt?

Löw (geht zu Mo Salah): "Er ist für mich die großte Überraschung der Saison - so viele Tore in der Premier League und der Champions League hätten wohl die wenigsten Mohamed Salah (32 Liga-Tore, 10 CL-Treffer) zugetraut. Und er ist nicht nur ein straker Torjäger, sondern auch ein richtig guter Fußballer. Liverpool und Kloppo haben Salah sehr viel zu verdanken - ein herausragendes Jahr für ihn. Es gibt in diesem Jahr nur sehr wenige Spieler, die solche Glanzpunkte wie Salah gesetzt haben."

Bild: Wenn Sie sich einen dieser drei Stars aussuchen und einbürgern könnten, wer wäre es?

Löw (grinst und zögert): "Grundsätzlich würde ich mich immer für einen deutschen Spieler entschieden. Aber unter den drei genannten: Messi! Ronaldo ist sensationell gut, professionell und eine unglaubliche Tor-Maschine über so viele Jahre hinweg. Er steht völlig zu Recht oft ganz oben auf dem Treppchen. Messi halte ich aber für den komplettesten Spieler. Er ist der geniale Vorbereiter, der in jeder Saison seit zehn Jahren gefühlt 30 bis 40 Vorlagen fibt und selbst nach einmal 50 Tore erzielt. Darüber hinaus hat er die spekltakulärste Spielweise: Die Tempo-Dribblings von Messi sind unerreicht. Er kann in einer Hälfte acht, neun Spieler aussteigen lassen - seine Tore bleiben einfacht in Erinnerung."

Bild: Aber Messi bleibt mit der Nationalelf Argentiniens vielleicht der titellose Super-Heid...

Löw: "Das weiß man nicht! Umso großer wird jetzt seine Motivation sein. Wir dürfen nicht vergessen: Argentinient hat bei den letzten Turnieren 2006, 2010 und 2014 dreimal gegen Deutschland vorstellen, was in den Argentiniern vorgeht..."

Bild: Haben Sie durch Ihre vorzeitige Vertragsverlängerung beim DFB bis 2022 endgültig die Chance aufgegeben, einen dieser Weltstars bei einem Top-Klub zu trainieren?

Löw (zeigt auf Ronaldo und lacht): "Er spielt noch bis mindestens 38, also noch gut fünf Jahre..."

Bild: Im Ernst: Bedeutet ihr neuer Vertrag jetzt lebenslang DFB?

Löw: "Nein! Warum?"

Bild: Also können Sie sich vorstellen, danach - dann sind Sie ja auch erst 62 - noch einmal einen europäischen Top-Klub zu übernehmen?

Löw: "Bis 2022 habe ich jetzt erst mal beim DFB unterschrieben. Aber wie alt ist Jupp Heynckes doch gleich?"

Bild: 73 Jahre.

Löw: "Warum sollte ich nicht mit 72 Jahren auch noch Trainer sein? Warten wir es mal ab."

Bild: Wie gefällt ihnen Ihr Klon, den Sie im dritten Gruppenspiel treffen?

Löw (grinst): "Ich habe davon gehort, dass er in Sudkorea wegen seines Außeren als der Jogi von Asien gilt. Ich habe ihn persönlich aber nach nicht kennengelernt."

Bild: Was halten sie von Ex-Spielern wie Oliver Kahn als TV-Experten?

Löw: "Ich beobachte die Experten ja nie während unserer eigenen Spielen. Aber wenn ich Bundesliga oder Champions League anschaue, dann fällt mir zum Beispiel Lothar Matthäus auf. Er macht seinen Job wirklich gut, ist sehr analytisch. AUch Christoph Metzelder ist analytisch und kritisch. Gleiches gilt für Oliver Kahn und auch Jens Lehmann. Kann sein, dass Jens bei unseren Spielen die Nationalmannschaft mal straker kritisiert hat, aber damit eröffnet er manchmal auch eine andere Sichtweise. Sicher ist, die Genannten sind alle sehr meinungsstark und kompetent."

Bild: Ist es für Sie eine Berufs-Perspektive, später TV-Experte zu werden?

Löw: "Wahrscheinlich nicht."

Bild: Kommen wir zur Kanzlerin, die Sie schon häufig getroffen haben...

Löw: Ich bin ein großer Bewunderer unserer Kanzlerin. Sie ist seit so vielen Jahren dabei und hat immer noch diese wahnsinnige Energie. Ich weiß es zu schätzen, was sie auf europäischer Ebene leistet, dass sie eine große Verfechterin für ein gemeinsames, starkes Europa ist, was sie unbedingt erhalten will. Ich weiß es auch zu schätzen, wie sie mit uns als Mannschaft kommuniziert, wie sie uns auf ihre Art unterstütz, seriös und trotzdem locker ist. Wenn politische Dinge bei uns zur Sprache kommen, kann sie schwieriger Sachverhalte mit wenigen Sätzen und eintachen Worten treffend erklären, sodass es jeder versteht. Das ist eine große Gabe."

Bild: Die WM im Putin-Reich Russland wird auch politisch sehr aufgeladen sein. Haben Sie Kanzlerin Merkel um Rat gefragt, wie Sie sich verhalten sollen?

Löw: "Wir haben uns bei unserem letzten Treffen kürzlich auch darüber unterhalten, ja. Sie hat mich persönlich gefragt, wie wir das Thema WM angehen wollen. Ich habe Ihr gesaft, dass es für mich als Trainer wichtig ist, dass wir uns als Mannschaft Russland gegenüber als offen und tolerant zeigen wollen, mit einer gewissen Vorfreude auf das Ereignis und die Menschen im Land. Wir wollen unvoreingenommen sein, den Menschen vermitteln, dass wir ein sympathisches und freundliches Team sind. Wir wollen auf die Menschen offen zugehen, in diesen Vorstellungen hat mich die Kanzlerin bestärkt. Sie sagt, dass wir uns auf unseren Sport konzentrieren und die Politik anderen überlassen sollen. Den Politikern. Und mit Reinhard Grindel haben wir beim DFB ja auch einen guten Präsidenten an unseren Seite, der sich gut auskennt auf diesem Parkett und gerade mit Blick auf die deutsch-russischen Beziehungen ungemein aktiv ist."

Bild: Würden Sie es verstehen, wenn Kanzleren Merkel Russland während der WM fernbleibt, oder wünschen Sie sich ihren Besuch von Ort?

Löw: "Ich persönlich würde mich sehr freuen, wenn Angela Merkel ein Spiel von uns in Russland besucht."

Bild: Am besten das Finale...

Löw: "Ja, warum nicht! 2014 in Brasilien war das für die Mannschaft ein tolles Gefühl. Sie kam nach dem Endspiel in die Kabine und saß plötzlich mittendrin, hat mit uns angestoßen und war ganz natürlich. Das hat einen tollen Eindruck bei meinen Spielern hinterlassen. Das wünsche ich mir wieder."

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Löw: "Things are looking positive for Neuer, Boateng is on track.", 24.05.2018

The first training sessions in Eppan are complete and Joachim Löw is already feeling confident for the World Cup in Russia. The Germany head coach spoke to the press on Thursday afternoon about the latest on captain Manuel Neuer and Jérôme Boateng, plus much more.

JOACHIM LÖW ON...
...Manuel Neuer: He needs to complete the sessions and show that he isn’t suffering from any problems whatsoever. He is well aware of his responsibility to both the team and his health. He trained fine with Bayern and is fully on board here too, showing he is capable of dealing with the intensity. We will take things one day at a time and will continue to discuss the matter with him. If he feels like he can play at 100 percent, then he will be in the squad. If not, we need to talk about other options. As of today, there are no problems, even with the more strenuous work like jumping and diving. Things are looking positive.

...Jérôme Boateng: We’re still not 100 percent sure whether Jérôme will join up with the squad on Friday or not. He will undergo a final examination in Munich, and then we will decide whether or not he will travel tomorrow or in a few days. He has completed some sessions, is doing running exercises and is almost able to push himself to the limit physically again. It’s a muscle injury, so we don’t want to make any mistakes. He is always under observation by the medical staff at Bayern and he is on track. I won’t put a definitive timeframe on anything, but he should be able to complete parts of team training next week.

...building the training intensity: We have 19 players at the moment – 16 outfield players and three goalkeepers. I spoke to almost everyone on the phone in the last week, and I offered the players who played on the weekend the chance to join up two days later. Most of them said yes, but Sami Khedira and Julian Draxler wanted to arrive with the rest of the squad on Wednesday. The first few days will be more focused on individual work; our job is to get those players who have had varying workloads in the past weeks all on the same level. The plan is to move onto tactical and team elements on the weekend.

...the final World Cup squad: We will sit down before the deadline and discuss it. We haven’t said to anyone that they’re only here provisionally. Everyone should have the same chance to make the squad and we don’t want to unsettle anyone. We need to wait and see if any injuries happen, which the past has shown us is a possibility. We will play against the U20s on Monday and Wednesday. We need to have balanced options for every position. We’ll wait and see what happens. At a pre-World Cup training camp like this, every player is fully motivated and wants to prove that they deserve to be here. A decision won’t be made until close to the deadline.

...his first impressions of Eppan: Huge credit to the whole of South Tyrol. They have really put an exceptional setup together here. Everything we requested has been implemented perfectly. We were here in 2010 and 2014 and feel very much at home. We have excellent conditions; the hotel is great, and it’s very close to the pitch, which is in great shape. We’re well equipped to prepare optimally for the World Cup. I have a good feeling, and the players do too.

...Mesut Özil and Ilkay Gündogan: We had a good chat. It was Ilkay’s idea to meet the President of Germany. We talked things over on the weekend, and for me the issue is now closed. Now the focus is on the World Cup and what happens on the pitch.