Ever wonder what Germany's national team coach is getting up to on the one-year anniversary of his greatest success? Reminiscing in the memories? Watching the match-winning moment over-and-over? Looking over the statistics of the game? On Monday, July 13th 2015 it will have been exactly one year since the historic night in Rio de Janeiro, but Joachim Löw will "not be doing anything related to the final" he revealed in an interview with Bild am Sonntag. "I don't watch many replays of that goal. When I returned home to Freiburg after the World Cup, I watched the first half against Brazil and the extra time against Argentina."
July 13th 2015 will be the first anniversary of Germany’s fourth World Cup, but just an ordinary day for national team coach? Certainly not. The emotions are all still there, the images of that night are impossible to expel from ones mind and the celebration is unforgettable. "The memorable moments were obviously the goal [against Argentina] and the final whistle. That's when all the pressure on us just evaporated. But what impressed me more was the response from the people in Brazil after we beat their team 7-1. The people escorted us back to the airport and all the way back to our camp. This appreciation that we received was the biggest honour that you can receive from an opponent. I will never forget that. Just like our return to Berlin, which was extremely emotional. It was just a great feeling to step out of that plane and see so many happy faces."
One year has passed since the 1-0 victory over Argentina in the World Cup final. A year that has changed the perception of German football around the world has not changed the national team coach. "I don't think that winning the World Cup has changed me," Löw said in an interview with Bild am Sonntag. "But we are viewed in a different way from people outside Germany now. German football has dramatically increased in popularity after winning the World Cup in 2014. It makes me proud that we performed together as a team and that people recognised this."
Die Mannschaft have not been allowed to dwell on their success, as they still have a European Championship to qualify for. Just eight weeks after lifting the trophy, Löw's men recorded a 2-1 victory over Scotland in a EURO qualifier. "The first couple of months were definitely difficult for the players but also for us coaches. The World Cup was extremely demanding both from a physical and mental aspect. Many struggled to find a rhythm again afterwards. We had to take our time and find new motivation. This led to us dropping several points but we started to improve after the New Year," reflected Löw.
The heroes from Rio are now looking to book their ticket to the 2016 European Championship in France. Skipper Bastian Schweinsteiger, who is set to join Manchester United this summer for a new challenge at club level, will be instrumental for the Germany according to Löw: "To me he is as solid as a rock. His performance in the final symbolised our team spirit. He sacrificed himself for the team. A fighting Schweinsteiger, who always gets back up when he’s knocked down. He symbolised our entire World Cup campaign." Mario Götze, who is intent on establishing himself at FC Bayern, is another key player in Löw's plans. "Mario is extremely professional both on and off the pitch. I'm sure that he will make it and I've told him so as well. The situation that he is experiencing at Bayern at the moment is just part of being a footballer. You have to fight your way through and Mario wants to do that and win more trophies." And let's not forget Lukas Podolski, who recently joined his new club Galatasaray where he hopes to regain his full potential. "The important thing for Lukas now is to get consistent match practice. The next year will be decisive for him."
Löw continues to trust his World Cup winners but will not lose sight of the talent that's coming through as well. "We don't have to make many changes because our players are still young and hungry. But obviously there are several players, who also took part in this summer's European Under-21 Championship, who are now starting to close in on the first team. Emre Can is an interesting and extremely versatile player. Kevin Volland and the keepers Bernd Leno and Marc-Andre ter Stegen are also candidates." Löw feels that he has a connection with the players who won the World Cup with him, but he will not keep them in the team on merit alone – they have to perform. "Obviously I feel that I have a strong connection with the players that won the World Cup, but at the end of the day it is all about form," assured Löw. After all, the Germany coach is looking to lift another trophy next summer. "We would all love to experience that feeling one more time. Especially after getting to know what it really feels like," admitted Löw. One year on and he still hasn’t forgotten the feeling.
