Joachim Low is set to continue his reign as manager of Germany’s national football team for the foreseeable future, as the team’s official Twitter account announced on Friday the 55-year-old’s contract has been extended until 2018:
Low has been with the team since 2004 and took over as full-time manager in 2008, two years after helping Jurgen Klinsmann lead the team to a semi-final at the 2006 World Cup.
Under Low’s guidance, Die Mannschaft shifted their identity to incorporate more young talent, culminating in a dominant showing at the 2014 World Cup, which ended with Germany lifting the trophy.
His time at the helm has been highly productive, and he was always expected to put pen to paper on a new deal soon. As shared by the team’s Twitter account, he expressed his delight and gratitude for the continued confidence in his abilities:
Before Low’s appointment in 2008, the modern German squad was known for its tendency to come up short in the big moments, failing to win any significant silverware since the 1990 World Cup.
That trend continued under Low at first, highlighted by losses against Spain in the final of Euro 2008 and again two years later, this time in the semi-finals. The side had a dominant run through Euro 2012 before running into Italy in the semi-finals, but last year, everything finally came together.
The Germans currently sit at the top of the FIFA rankings and are the early favourites for the Euro 2016 title. With Low now secured to a long-term deal, everything seems in place for the dominance of Die Mannschaft to continue.
