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A decade ago, Joachim Low assembled a Germany team that would go on to conquer the world. The 60-year-old picked players from Germany’s talented Under-21 side and made history with them.
The likes of Mesut Ozil, Thomas Muller, Jerome Boateng, Toni Kroos and Sami Khedira formed the core of that team. Together with more experienced players like Miroslav Klose and Philipp Lahm, Germany had a golden generation of talent on their hands.
Germany reached the semi-final of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, won the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and reached the semis of Euro 2016, before putting up a deflating performance at the 2018 World Cup, where they suffered a group stage exit.
The decline of the national team led to some tough decisions by Low, who decided it was time to phase out some of the old guards. Like a decade ago, he introduced young and hungry players into the team.
One thing that Low has done so well since being appointed is to keep the team competitive. There’s been no room for complacency under the former VfB Stuggart manager and he’s never been afraid to make the big decisions.
In 2019, Low axed Mats Hummels, Thomas Muller and Jerome Boateng from the Germany national team, saying it was time to chart a new course for Die Mannschaft.
"2019 is a new beginning for the Germany national team. It was important for me to personally explain my decision to the players and the FC Bayern management,” he said in a statement published on the FA’s website.
"Now it's time to set the course for the future. We want to give the team a new look. I am convinced that this is the right step. With the EURO 2020 qualifying campaign about to begin, we wanted to make it clear that this is a new start. The youngsters coming through will have the room they need to grow. Now it's up to them to take on responsibility.”
Low’s decision to leave out these established stars drew criticism, but he’s been vindicated so far. In 2017, he sent a team of U-23 players to the FIFA Confederations Cup and impressively won the tournament.
Die Mannschaft are now unbeaten since September 2019 and have been scoring goals for fun. The likes of Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Leroy Sane, Serge Gnabry and Leon Goretzka have formed a formidable core of this Germany team.
It’s never easy to rebuild a team, but Low has done so well with this young group. On Saturday, Ukraine became the latest victims of Germany, losing 3-1 in the UEFA Nations League.
It is clear to see why Low favors these young players over the more established stars. The Germany coach is gradually rebuilding another golden generation.
