Germany head coach Joachim Löw offered a very personal insight into his emotions and feelings after the World Cup triumph in Rio last year in an interview with the Welt am Sonntag. "I needed until October to find the correct tension again. That's when I rediscovered my motivation," explained the 55-year-old. "Before that, my batteries were simply empty."
The feeling manifested itself relatively quick after Germany's 1-0 victory over Argentina in the final. "Immediately after the final whistle, I was experiencing a rush. I knew we had just won the World Cup and that we would be bringing the trophy back home with us. That was insane," said Löw. "Later that night, I was sitting in the hotel with my wife, colleagues and friends. I was happy, but I didn’t have the energy to celebrate exuberantly. I just wasn’t able to do it, as I was emotionally drained from the tournament."
He "enjoyed being alone" in the weeks after the success. "I often thought about Brazil and it was just a pure joy to have experienced it. But I needed some time to recharge my batteries. Once the international fixtures started again, I began to feel a change. I knew that my next goal was to confirm our success from Brazil and make the team even better." The European Championship 2016 in France is the next big challenge for Löw.
Löw: "We have to play better out of the back"
There is still room for improvement in Germany's national team one year after their victory in Brazil, according to Löw: "We have to play better out of the back. We often just cleared the ball with no real target in mind when the opposition pressured us."
The Germany coach also demands more determination from his attacking players. "We have to play into space again and not always into the feet of our team mates. Our final pass was often lacking precision. We still have to improve in that regard."
Löw has asked for patience towards his team following the decision of Philipp Lahm, Per Mertesacker and Miroslav Klose to end their international careers. "There is no struggle of hierarchy in our squad, but a team needs to find itself first before they can play well together," he said. The following questions need to be answered before the EURO in France next summer: "Who will take responsibility in difficult situations? Who can the younger players look up to and learn from? Who are the players who will lead the way?" Löw already has an idea which players will become cornerstones in his team: "Bastian Schweinsteiger, Jérôme Boateng, Manuel Neuer, Sami Khedira, Mats Hummels, Toni Kroos and Thomas Müller have all started to assume these roles more. They are doing a good job."
Germany head coach Joachim Löw offered a very personal insight into his emotions and feelings after the World Cup triumph in Rio last year in an interview with the Welt am Sonntag. "I needed until October to find the correct tension again. That's when I rediscovered my motivation," explained the 55-year-old. "Before that, my batteries were simply empty."
The feeling manifested itself relatively quick after Germany's 1-0 victory over Argentina in the final. "Immediately after the final whistle, I was experiencing a rush. I knew we had just won the World Cup and that we would be bringing the trophy back home with us. That was insane," said Löw. "Later that night, I was sitting in the hotel with my wife, colleagues and friends. I was happy, but I didn’t have the energy to celebrate exuberantly. I just wasn’t able to do it, as I was emotionally drained from the tournament."
He "enjoyed being alone" in the weeks after the success. "I often thought about Brazil and it was just a pure joy to have experienced it. But I needed some time to recharge my batteries. Once the international fixtures started again, I began to feel a change. I knew that my next goal was to confirm our success from Brazil and make the team even better." The European Championship 2016 in France is the next big challenge for Löw.
Löw: "We have to play better out of the back"
There is still room for improvement in Germany's national team one year after their victory in Brazil, according to Löw: "We have to play better out of the back. We often just cleared the ball with no real target in mind when the opposition pressured us."
The Germany coach also demands more determination from his attacking players. "We have to play into space again and not always into the feet of our team mates. Our final pass was often lacking precision. We still have to improve in that regard."
Löw has asked for patience towards his team following the decision of Philipp Lahm, Per Mertesacker and Miroslav Klose to end their international careers. "There is no struggle of hierarchy in our squad, but a team needs to find itself first before they can play well together," he said. The following questions need to be answered before the EURO in France next summer: "Who will take responsibility in difficult situations? Who can the younger players look up to and learn from? Who are the players who will lead the way?" Löw already has an idea which players will become cornerstones in his team: "Bastian Schweinsteiger, Jérôme Boateng, Manuel Neuer, Sami Khedira, Mats Hummels, Toni Kroos and Thomas Müller have all started to assume these roles more. They are doing a good job."
