Former German national team coach Joachim Löw has stated that while he has no interest in playing every weekend in domestic league matches, he would be willing to take on a coaching role where he could guide a squad with international aspirations towards European success. Speaking to the weekly magazine “Die Zeit” Löw expressed that leading such a team would be appealing to him.
He criticized the short-term planning horizons of many clubs when it comes to strategic decisions. Löw noted that few clubs make the effort to develop a medium or long-term model, and even fewer sporting directors demand such a concept when recruiting coaches. Instead, the primary questions asked are invariably about immediate success, such as “How can we win?” or “How can we avoid relegation?”
Regarding what he views as typical German football habits, Löw was critical. He firmly dismissed the idea that a team must always “fight harder” or “play dirty”-tactics that might win a single game or two, but, according to him, are insufficient for winning major tournaments, including the Champions League or even the Bundesliga. Furthermore, after defeats, he said he does not want to hear excuses like, “We defended poorly”. Instead, he believes the conversation should focus on deeper issues, such as, “Why did we fail to dictate the game?” or “What strategies failed to allow us to dominate the opponent?”
