Joachim Löw is facing challenges in securing a return to the coaching seat.
Joachim Löw was in a jovial mood. On Thursday evening, the legendary national coach briefly stepped back onto the bench to coach some of his former players. Lukas Podolski had asked him to join him in Cologne for his farewell match as a footballer, a heartfelt gathering of the 2014 World Cup champions. Manuel Neuer and Mats Hummels were there, along with Hansi Flick who flew in from Barcelona. They all still hold their positions, albeit with varying degrees of achievement. Löw, however, has been jobless in football since his departure from the German national team.
At the moment, there's "nothing concrete" in the pipeline, Löw admitted. There have been occasional inquiries, he said, but "one must also be passionate about it," making it "not so easy, especially to take over another national team just like that." His 15-year tenure with the German team has left its mark. "If I've been with the team for so long, spent so much time with the players, it's also deep in my heart," he shared.
In recent years, there have been numerous speculations. This summer, Löw was linked as a potential successor to Gareth Southgate with the English national team. Southgate, who faced criticism for his bureaucratic style with the Three Lions, stepped down after England's defeat to Spain in the Euro finals. The "Sun" then reported that Löw showed interest and was open to negotiations with the English FA. However, it seems those discussions never took place. The team is currently led by interim national coach Lee Carsley, who oversaw a disappointing 1:2 loss to Greece in a parallel event to Podolski's farewell match at Wembley.
Löw also briefly considered a role in Bayern Munich's volatile coaching carousel. When Bayern was looking for Tuchel's successor (and later found Vincent Kompany), almost every name was in the mix. Including Löw's. But he ruled out any possibility of involvement, stating, "There are probably various reasons. A, Bayern has no interest in my character, probably as a coach, and I would also have no interest in Bayern Munich."
In that interview, he also ruled out any coaching position in Germany altogether. "I was a coach with the German national team for a long time, and I've always said that such a position in Germany isn't an option for me. I've traveled this republic for 17 years, been to every type of stadium, know the clubs well. So, that's not a motivation for me." But Löw doesn't seem to be actively seeking a new role. Instead, he emphasized in Cologne, "I have enough tasks that bring me joy - with football, sometimes even without."
Despite the interest from the English FA and Bayern Munich, Joachim Löw has ruled out coaching roles in international or German football. His deep connection with the German national football team, having coached them for 15 years, makes it challenging to consider another national team immediately.
