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Franz Beckenbauer: Joachim Löw has tough decisions to make

July 19, 2018

Franz Beckenbauer has become the latest to weigh in on the disaster that was Germany's tournament in Russia. He suggested that national team coach Joachim Löw needed to part ways with some of his veteran players.

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DFB Bundestag Joachim Löw und Franz Beckenbauer
Image: picture-alliance/nordphoto

In comments published in this Thursday's edition of the Bild newspaper, Franz Beckenbauer (pictured above, left) gave Germany coach Joachim Löw (above, right) a vote of confidence, despite the national team's failure to advance beyond the group stage at the World Cup in Russia.

Beckenbauer, 72, who coached Germany to a World Cup title in 1990, said that while the German football association (DFB) had made the right decision in sticking with Löw,  the head coach now had some tough decisions to make, including in terms of personnel.

"Löw will have to change some things after experienced players failed to deliver for him," Beckenbauer said, referring to Germany's disappointing World Cup. "Gratitude is not his friend."

'It's on the players'

Beckenbauer, who also captained West Germany to a World Cup in 1974, said that the main problem in Russia was the attitude of the players Löw had selected.

"You can't approach a World Cup like that," he said. "Football is above all about running. There was no willingness to do this. The national team actually did the opposite to what Löw had asked of them.

Löw, Bierhoff hold talks

Beckenbauer's comments came as Löw and his assistants met with general manager Oliver Bierhoff at the German football association's (DFB) headquarters to discuss future of the national team. Bierhoff, Löw, as well as his assistants, Marcus Sorg and Thomas Schneider, opened discussions on Wednesday to start plotting a course for a more successful future for the Nationalmannschaft. Neither Löw nor Bierhoff are expected to comment on the outcome of their talks until Friday at the earliest.

'Biggest crisis in memory'

Meanwhile, a regional functionary told breakfast television on Thursday that the mood at the grassroots level of German football couldn't be much gloomier.

"The atmosphere is terrible," said Hermann Winkler, the president of the football association of the eastern state of Saxony (SFV). He told public broadcaster ZDF that a split had emerged between the fans and an "aloof, even arrogant" national team.

"We are in crisis," he said. "It's the biggest that I can remember at the DFB."

pfd/dv (dpa, SID)