Joachim Low has been manager of the German national team (and prior to that he was Assistant Manager for two years), and led a drastic turnaround in style and temperament that led to one of the most memorable World Cup triumphs in Brazil in 2014. But since that victory, the German national team has had difficulty reaching the same levels; in 2018 the defending World Champions finished bottom in a group behind Mexico, Sweden and South Corea, and have slipped outside the top 10 of the FIFA World rankings. Then, this week, Germany suffered their worst defeat since 1931, when they lost 6-0 to a Spanish national team in the Nations League. Germany were absolutely overrun, and after 14 years, confidence in Joachim Low seems to be at an all-time low.
There is no doubt Low has done a fantastic job as manager, but it is often harder to stay at the top that to get there. While Low has, since the 2016 triumph, tried to renew his side, it has seemed premature to sideline some of the legendary players from that triumph such as Jerome Boateng, Mats Hummels, and Thomas Muller. These players, with their experience (and they are not too old, as Boateng's and Muller's career in Bayern Munich are showing), could have proved valuable in such a match as that against Spain, where the Germans seemed disillusioned and unmotivated throughout the match.
It is probably time for renewal in the German national team, which undoubtedly has too much history and talent to not be among the ten best in the world!
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