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."

Original article in Bild. Uploaded here for review and discussion purposes only.

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.

Bunte 70th Anniversary Edition, April 2018

Das Finale der Fußballweltmeisterschaft in Rio de Janeiro war hochdramatisch: Mario Götze trifft in der Verlämgerung gegen Argentinien zum 1:0 und schießt die Nationalelf - und ganz Deutschland - im Juli 2014 zum vierten WM-Titel. Minuten nachdem Abpfiff, als Bundestrainer Joachim Löw, damals 54, den Pokal in Händen hält, jubeln seine Jungs und er Freude. Auspannung und jahrelange harte Arbeit lautstark aus sich heraus.

Die Zuschauer im Stadion oder an der Fernsehgeräten ließen sich mitreißen von diesem Wir-Gefühl und plötzlich spielte es überhaupt keine Rolle, ob man Fan von Bayern, Dortmund, Hannover 96 oder Real Madrid war. Ein ganzes Land, ja vermutlich die halbe Welt freute sich in diesem Moment für das Team von Jogi Löw

Die gesellschaftliche Bedeutung des Fußballs war schon immer enorm. "Wir sind wieder wer!" hieß es 1954, nach dem 'Wunder von Bern'. Der Titel 1974 legte den Grundstein für eine neue (Fußballer-)Generation - professionell, kosmopolitisch, engagiert. 1990 wähnte man sich aufJahre hinaus 'unschlagbar'. 2006 zeigte Deutschland sich als freundlicher WM-Gastgeber der ganzen Welt. Und mit dem Sieg 2014 in Brasilien bewiesen Jogis Jungs, dass nur Teamgeist zum Sieg führt: Spieler, so multi-kulturell wie diese Republik, spielen als Mannschaft erfolgreich zusammen - ein Modell für ein modernes Deutschland.

Im Januar 2015 wurde Jogi Löw mit dem Deutschen Medienpreis ausgezeichnet. "Sein Führungsstil und seine Spielphilosophie haben die Nationalelf in der ganzen Welt zu einem herausragenden Botschafter eines modernen, weltoffenen und sympathischen Deutschlands gemacht", lautete die Begründung der Jury. Löw bedankte sich mit einer bemerkenswerten Rede, die die Zuschauer so sehr beeindruckte, dass sie aufstanden und minutenlang applaudierten. Er redete voller Herzenswärme gegen den Hass in der Welt an - und stellte die Nationalelf als Modell für eine friedliche Gesellschaft dar, die deshalb erfolgreich ist, weil sie bestimmte Werte die Toleranz und ein friedliches Zusammenleben von Menschen aus unterschiedlichen Kulturen vorlebt.

"Uns hat es nicht interessiert, wo jemand herkam, welcher Religion er angehört. Uns war, ist und bleibt wichtig, ob der Spieler gut ist und ob unsere Zuschauer sich mit ihm identifizieren können", so Löw. "Ich glaube, dass wir alle von dieser Mannschaft lernen können. Bei uns gibt es tolle Menschen und einen bunten Mix aller Kulturen und Religionen. Alle können hervorragend miteinander auskommen, wenn sie sich gegenseitig respektieren und die ausgemachten Regeln einhalten."

Seine Spieler und der DFB sollten für Integration und gegen Rassismus und Antisemitismus eintreten - auch außerhalb des Platzes. "Nationalspieler haben eine besondere Verantwortung. Wenn sie das Trikot mit dem Bundesadler anziehen, haben sie eben auch eine Vorbildfunktion für viele, viele Millionen von Jungen, Fußball spielenden Kindern", erkläre Jogi Löw. "Wie schön wäre es, wenn Deutschland irgendwann Weltmeister des friedlichen und freundlichen Zusammenlebens unterschiedlicher Kulturer und unterschiedlicher Religionen wäre."

Im November 2016 nahm Jogi Löw in Berlin den Medienpreis BAMBI für Integration entgegen. Damals appellierte er: "Akzeptiert euren Nachbarn genauso, wie jeder Spieler in unserer Mannschaft seinen Mitspieler akzeptiert und respektiert. Als Mensch, als Freund, als jemanden, der vielleicht anders ist, aber auch besonders. Lassen Sie uns alle zu einer deutschen Integrationsmannschaft werden."

Als BUNTE den Erfolgstrainer im März 2018, nur wenige Wochen vor Beginn der Fußballweltmeisterschaft in Russland, auf seine Worte von Beginn der Fußballweltmeisterschaft in Russland, auf seine Worte von damals anspricht, sagt er: "Er war für mich etwas ganz Besonderes, diese Preise in Empfang nehmen zu dürfen. Ich habe das nicht auf mich persönlich bezogen, sondern stellvertretend für unsere Mannschaft. Plötzlich in einer Reihe zu stehen mit so unglaublichen Persönlichkeiten wie George Clooney, Königin Maxima oder Barack Obama, alles Medienspreis Preisträgen zeigt, welch ungeheure integrative Kraft Fußball hat - er verbindet die Menschen auf der ganzen Welt. Unabhängig von Alter, Hautfarbe, Geschlecht, Herkunft, sexueller oder politischer Gesinnung. Genau dafür steht unsere Mannschaft, in der Müller, Khedira, Özil und Boateng alles für ihr Heimatland Deutschland geben."

Wir reden über Kinder, die oftmals gar nicht wahrnehmen, dass ihr bester Freund eine andere Hautfarbe hat als sie selbst. Jogi Löw lächelt. "An diesem Beispiel sehen Sie mal, was wir Erwachsenen von den Kindern lerner können. Sie sind von Natur aus offen und begegnen der Welt und den Menschen umvoreingenommen. Das übrigens haben wir uns für die Zeit in Russland auch vorgenommen. Wir wollen dort einfach auf die Menschen zugehen, wir wollen Begegnungen schaffen."

Mit Jogi Löw sprach Tania May

Löw: "We will get better", 28.03.2018

Germany tasted defeat for the first time in 22 matches on Tuesday as they went down 1-0 to Brazil in the Olympiastadion in Berlin. Head coach Joachim Löw admitted there was still work to do before his team defend their World Cup title in Russia in two and a half months time. Speakng to DFB, Löw saw the result as fair but drew the positives going forward.

Question: Joachim Löw, how did you rate your side’s final big game before the World Cup?

Joachim Löw: It just wasn’t our day. As a result of the changes we made our link up play wasn't quite as sharp as it normally is. We found them very tough to break down when they didn’t have the ball. Our body language wasn’t always good enough to put up a fight against the dominance, the aura, safety and feeling of responsibility. We deserved to go behind, didn’t put enough pressure on them going forwad and then did not move the ball quickly enough.

Question: Will that all get sorted out?

Löw: Of course, you never want to lose games like that, even when I say we have already put the result behind us. We lost, but I can still sleep easy at night. It is clear we have to work on three or four aspects quite hard. The 14-day training camp will be important for us so that we can iron out certain things.

Question: Brazil got their revenge.....

Löw: If Brazilian souls have now been set free then that’s absolutly okay. It was to be expected that they would go into the game more motivated, but perhaps also with a bit of fear of losing again. Therefore I hoped we would have started in a way that pushed them back a bit. But we did not make use of the space we got and we had too many players behind the ball.

Question: How come Kevin Trapp ended up playing the second half as well?

Löw: I said I would make the change at half time if the game allowed it. We had the feeling at half time that we should keep things as they were because there might be some uncertainty there. He did give the ball away with his feet a few times, but he was also left alone on a few occasions too. We normally have a bit more desire to play the ball out from the back.

Question: Is one of your conclusions to draw: There is a clear first XI?

Löw: It should not be a case of just having one first XI. At a major tournament it’s about making changes at the right time at that is a lot easier if players can be in an overall structure. Guys like Hummels, Özil, Müller and Khedira can direct others in difficult situations.

Question: The last three games have seen the team fall behind. Is that something you’re worried about?

Löw: No I am not worried about that. Things like that do not concern me because I know how strong the team are. I know what we can do, how we can play and what type of mentality we have. So no I am not worried. In 2014 and 2010 we also lost in March and we were really poor against Chile. You can be sure of this: We will get better.

Question: Could it be you take no positives from the game?

Löw: No no. In the second half there were a few positive things – we got forward better and got stuck in to more challenges. We wanted to turn the game, not lose and our body language was better. In the first half that wasn’t good enough from some of them from my perspective.

28 March 2018
Originally on dfb.de. Uploaded here to prevent loss once moved on or removed from that page.

Löw plans for Leno and Trapp to start a half each, 26.03.2018

Who’s starting against Brazil? What relevance does the 7-1 win in Belo Horizonte four years ago have? Germany head coach Joachim Löw gives us a little glimpse of his starting XI for Tuesday night’s friendly in Berlin’s Olympiastadion and shares his thoughts on the legendary semi-final four years ago. He was joined in the press conference by Jerome Boateng and Matthias Ginter – DFB.de were in attendance to jot down the important quotes.

JOACHIM LÖW ON... ...the importance of the game: Both games are of great significance – they’re both tests against teams at the highest level, as we saw against Spain. When you analyse the game, you see that both teams had an unbelievably good pass-completion rate, which in itself tells us an awful lot. I think the same can be said for our next opponents as well: Brazil have transformed in recent years and are back to their old strengths. We are very pleased to get oppositions like this and can learn a lot from them.

...the semi-final at the 2014 World Cup: That’s much more of an issue in Brazil. It was obviously a very enjoyable game, but just a step to the World Cup title at the end of the day. The very next morning all our focus was already on the final and beaten Argentina.

...personnel: Marc André ter Stegen will definitely be rested, he’d already had knee problems before so they definitely need a few days’ rest. Depending on how the game unfolds, Kevin Trapp and Bernd Leno will play a half each. As for who else starts, we’ll have to wait and see. Marvin Plattenhardt, Ilkay Gündogan and Leroy Sané will start, as I’ve already said, but whether Sami Khedira can play is doubtful – he’s been having some muscle problems. He will participate in the final training session, but we won’t be taking any risks. He will tell me honestly after the session whether he is able to play.

... Leroy Sané and Ilkay Gündogan: Both have made excellent progress in Manchester – Ilkay hasn’t had any major injuries since the start of the season and we all know him from the years before his injury as someone who always helped the team play nice football. Leroy Sané made the right decision in going to Manchester City – he can really show his quality in that team; he’s an outstanding one-on-one player and I hope he can show this in tomorrow’s game, show his unpredictability.

...German philosophy: That’s been another development: If everything was still how it used to be, Brazil would win every World Cup – no other country has such a high volume of individual brilliance. In Germany we’ve always lived off our fight, commitment and our unwavering desire to win, and we still have that, but we have needed to develop in other areas. Today, Germany stands for creativity and a clearly attack-orientated footballing philosophy.

The opposition and their individual brilliance: You can’t compare players one-to-one; every player has his own strengths and weaknesses. Every player in Brazil’s team is outstanding on the ball, but we now have players that are equally good. I think Brazil have become a team again, a team in which everyone has their role, without a single superstar enjoying his own freedom. Even Coutinho and Neymar have integrated themselves into this team philosophy. In 2014 we had a fantastic team, without creating a superstar. Everyone was strong in their position and played to their strengths – generally, a good team performance is always to be held in higher regard than individual brilliance. If top players don’t integrate in a team, it will be difficult for that team to win anything.

JEROME BOATENG ON... The game against Brazil in his hometown of Berlin: This game is a big deal for me: Brazil are one of the best teams in the world and we are pleased to be playing against them. It will be a great test of our abilities, a chance to see where we stand. It always helps us make progress playing against strong opponents. For me personally, it’s something very special: As a young lad I would dream of playing against Brazil in the Olympiastadion. I am so happy to be able to play in this game.

...Experiences off the pitch during the 2014 World Cup: The people of Brazil were extremely friendly, very likeable – it was a great experience for all of us. We learned a lot about the culture, the cuisine and the language. To leave with the World Cup trophy rounded off an amazing experience.

...Joachim Löw’s tenure: I see it as a real positive – the team has been very successful with him as the manager; we’ve kept on developing further under him. He’s a very open person; we can speak to him about anything. We all trust him and he trusts us. He has done and continues to do a fantastic job.

...the 22 game unbeaten run: As a team, we always want to win, whether it’s a friendly, a World Cup qualifier or at a tournament. This will be the case tomorrow as well, but most importantly, we need to play well and try to win so we can learn things about our game.

…his criticisms of the game against Spain: There is always room for improvement, in every aspect. Against Spain, for example, our pressing game didn’t work. We want to be successful this summer, so we definitely need to address things like this. That’s better than putting it to one side – then we’ll all feel stupid if it comes down to that.

MATTHIAS GINTER ON... ...competition within the Germany squad: We have excellent players. I think the Confed Cup and the international games after that did me a lot of good. I try to develop as a player, here and at my club. I always do everything I can to improve and impress with my performances.

...player salaries professional football: It’s not a major issue in the team. Someone’s attitude towards this depends on what kind of person they are. High salaries compared to other jobs aren’t a new discovery. It’s down to every individual to contribute to society – I started a foundation recently.

...the flexibility of the Germany squad: That has its advantages, because it allows us to prepare differently depending on the opponent and never be too predictable.

26 March 2018
Originally on . Uploaded here to prevent loss once removed from or moved on that site.

Löw: "Excellent preparation for the World Cup", 24.03.2018

Friday evening’s 1-1 draw against Spain was an exciting game and first-class preparation for the World Cup: Germany head coach Joachim Löw watched over a great performance from Die Mannschaft, which forms a building block for the upcoming weeks. Thomas Müller scored with a spectacular effort from distance on Friday evening to equalise the game and maintain Germany’s 22-match unbeaten run since the 2016 Euros semi-finals.

Löw speaks in an interview with DFB.de about the Spain game as well as the upcoming game in Berlin against record world champions Brazil on Tuesday (KO 20:45 CEST).

Q: Mr Löw, have Spain showed you how rocky the road to successfully defending the World Cup title will be?

Joachim Löw: Spain are one of the best teams in Europe. They have a huge amount of experience, so they know what to do in every situation. Spain and other experienced teams can and will play a decisive role at the World Cup.

Q: You’ve spoken of knowledge. What knowledge have you acquired and which bits are key?

Löw: I’ve learned a few lessons. You have to play an almost man-to-man system at the back, so that you can put a team who pass so well under pressure when they attack. It was worth taking the risk, even if we didn’t always manage it. I don’t normally do that without a single training session beforehand. You also have to take into account that other teams rate us highly, which is important to realise. The French and the Argentinians do that as well.

Q: Which added benefits can video analysis bring? Löw: We still need to outline everything which needs working on. We can analyse the small errors from the game. With our passing game, we were able to make Spain run around a bit. You can see how we’ve developed over time. Both teams can show their full potential at the World Cup.

Q: Tuesday’s match against record world champions Brazil is fast approach. Will you make any changes to the team?

Löw: Yes. I intend to select Marvin Plattenhardt for the game. I think Ilkay Gündogan will start as well as Leroy Sané. Of course, I can make substitutions during the game.

Originally on dfb.de. Uploaded here to prevent loss once moved on or removed from that site.

The Inner Flame, Mercedes-Benz website interview, March 2018

With its towering columns that disappear into the darkness, you’d be forgiven for supposing the old combined heat and power station in Berlin’s Mitte district was a cathedral as you looked around its interior. Puddles of water on the concrete floor reflect the fluorescent lighting that has been set up for production of the new World Cup advert for Mercedes-Benz. Joachim Löw – the world champion coach everyone will be trying to beat this summer – is here for the shoot. We spoke with him on set.

Mr Löw, you draw a distinction between defending the World Cup title and wanting to win it. What kind of mindset does a team need to become the world champion?

Joachim Löw: Above all, what you need is immense mental strength. When you compete with the best of the best, you have to be ready to encounter incredible resistance. Matches are often played on a knife-edge: a single mistake could spell the end. So we don’t start working just a few days or weeks before a tournament – we’re continually training for it.

You once said that the team needed a bit of time to digest the 2014 World Cup victory before being able to “obsess” over details again. Can you tell us what this was like?

It was a long process. The core of our team has been together since 2010. We were ridiculed in 2012 for losing against Italy in the semi-finals of the European Championship; we made mistakes that we had to learn from. And then there’s the enormous emotional aspect that a tournament involves. You give it your all; you’re focused and your eyes are on the prize – both as an individual and as a team. You’re pushed right to your physical and psychological limits. And then suddenly, you’ve won. You’re being celebrated everywhere you go. It’s a real thrill.

How long does it last?

Until it all starts over again in a couple of weeks. You’re back at zero. And even though you know that the things you’ve previously done are no longer what’s important, you can’t help but revel in the euphoria of it all. This brings the risk of thinking that it will all just happen again the same way. But that’s not how it works.

Angelique Kerber of Germany became number one in women’s tennis and then her game took a downturn. Formula 1 world champion Nico Rosberg resigned after winning his title, citing the enormous pressure he faced before races and the resulting loss of sleep. Enough was enough.

Success comes at a high price. You spend all this time preparing for something; you want it with every bit of your heart and every bit of your soul. With every cell of your body, you want to achieve your objective and you want to be the best. And then once it’s done, when you get there, you hit a wall. This is inevitable and natural: the body must ultimately respond to the pressure. You lose energy. You lose concentration and the ability to stay alert. This power slump is just as extreme as everything you went through at the other end of the curve. It can take quite a bit of time to absorb a victory, and everyone has to do it in their own way.

Is that why you’ve recruited a number of younger players – to pull off the feat again?

As a coach, one thing is clear to me: it’s difficult to repeat a victory at this level with the same recipe, the same team, the same people.

So world champions need to redefine themselves?

Football is constantly moving forward as countries learn from their results and improve their skills. Over a cycle of two or three years, you need new people, new blood. Mixing things up can prove to be fruitful.

You have recruited a total of 94 rookies throughout your career as head coach so far. How long does it take for you to know whether a young player is destined to be one of the best?

Well first of all, I like to experiment. If it works, good. If not, move on. You can make a judgment on a 20-year-old’s talent and willpower, but it’s hard to say what the future will hold. After they’ve played some good matches, there are a number of external factors that can affect what happens next: they become famous – everybody wants something from them, they’re offered new contracts. Before all that happened, they were able to simply concentrate on football. I can tell you from experience that some players fall down a hole at this point. Some of them get back on their feet, others don’t. Our standards are high – in fact, they don’t get any higher: we want to be the benchmark in international football. That’s why we’re always focused towards the best.

The best never stop wanting to learn. Do you agree with the saying, “the best never rest”?

Absolutely. For me, it’s important to know whether a player is willing to progress and to learn, whether they are willing to do more than is expected of them. Many younger players exhibit a really high level of professionalism. They give a lot of thought to their own performance, all day, every day. And one change I’ve noticed over my 12 years as head coach is that players today are more willing to learn than the generation before. Where some things used to be rather set in stone, the current generation is receptive, curious and scrutinising. They ask, “What else can we do? What else can we try?” And they’re capable of quickly executing new things too – that’s also important. They receive top-notch training at the club boarding schools and at performance centres, as well as a proper education at the academies – they learn how to learn.

You often talk about a plan that players need to follow. Where do you see room for improvement for yourself?

Oh there are plenty of things I could do better. Just like everyone else.

But, Mr Löw, you have won titles both at the World Cup and the 2017 Confederations Cup!

I take care not to develop tunnel vision in my job. I like to see the sport from a bird’s-eye view: I watch matches in other countries and send my coaches and scouts South America, Africa and Asia. How do teams train in other countries? How do they prepare their players? Is there anything that we haven’t seen before? Sometimes it’s just an observation or two that makes it into our training programme.

What keeps you going after all this time?

Probably the simple fact that I love doing what I do. I grew up with football, and I wasn’t able to fulfil my hope of a great career as a player. When the national team is together, I enjoy being there every day. And the players should feel good too – that creates the best results. I want to help them keep their inner flame alight and show them how to love what they do. That’s what keeps me going. Football is my life.

What makes your team so special?

We’ve made major progress in our game over the last few years. These days we play with a certain ease and creativity that allow us to keep pace with teams like Brazil and Spain. We used to have to face them with fight, commitment and willpower, but these are the new requirements for the job. After all, if you want to be a maths professor, you should be able to solve one times one. Above all though, our players have strong characters: they never give up and have developed winner mentalities.

Who will be the toughest rival for you at the World Cup in Russia?

Argentina has Lionel Messi and a number of other good players. France has progressed immensely in the last four, five years; they have many quick, young players who are both physically strong and technically skilled. I still regard Spain highly, and England is proving to be a worthy opponent. Just look at their youth teams’ victories.

And Brazil?

Brazil too. Especially Brazil.

Despite their 1:7 loss to Germany in the World Cup semi-finals? Are they not a bit traumatised?

That was obviously the biggest disaster in the history of Brazilian football. The entire country was alight with World Cup fever and the pressure on Brazil was immense. They sunk deeper and deeper into themselves with every goal we scored. Initially the Brazilians were in a state of shock – but they turned it around. They told themselves: “We never want to go through that again.” With a new coach and new players, they are a completely different team than they were three years ago. Brazil has always had great footballers with technical finesse, but now they’re in a position to work hard for success. We saw them play a few times in the qualification and observed how disciplined they were. Brazil will be one of the favourites. There’s no question about it. It’s really remarkable, and admirable to see.

In comparison to previous years, you seem incredibly relaxed as this World Cup approaches. Is that really the case?

Experience helps. I’ve been through quite a bit, from magical moments to crushing disappointments. And I’ve learned that even those major disappointments for which you get relentlessly criticised help you to progress. It’s important to remember that disappointment is just as temporary as success, and that the sport is always moving forward.

7 March 2018
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