- Birthplace: Schönau, West Germany
- Previous Clubs: VfB Stuttgart; Fenerbahçe; Karlsruher SC; Adanaspor; FC Tirol Innsbruck; Austria Wien; Germany (assistant)
- Honors: DFB Pokal: 1997; Austrian championship: 2002
With an impressive record in charge of Germany, Joachim Löw has established himself as one of the leading bosses in international football.
In 1978 Löw started his playing career with Second League team SC Freiburg. He returned to the club twice (1982, 1985). In 1980 Löw joined VfB Stuttgart in the Fußball-Bundesliga, but he had difficulties in establishing himself and played only four matches (no goals). In the 1981–82 season Löw played for Eintracht Frankfurt (24 matches, five goals), but he returned to Freiburg the following year. In 1982–83 he scored 8 goals (34 matches), 1983–84 he scored 17 goals (31 matches) in the 2. Fußball-Bundesliga.
Afterwards he returned to the Bundesliga with Karlsruher SC, but again he failed to succeed and scored only two goals in 24 matches. Later, he joined Freiburg again for four years (116 matches, 38 goals). Löw concluded his career in Switzerland, where he played for FC Schaffhausen (1989–1992) and FC Winterthur (1992–1994).
After a mediocre playing career that saw the attacking midfielder earn four Under-21 caps but never make a senior appearance for Germany, Löw became a near instant success as a boss. Having learned the ropes as player-coach at Swiss minnows FC Winterthur and FC Frauenfeld, he returned to VfB Stuttgart as assistant to Rolf Fringer before becoming caretaker and then team manager.
He led the team to domestic cup success in the DFB-Pokal in 1997 and to the final of the Cup Winners’ Cup the following year, where they lost 1-0 to Chelsea. In the following seasons, he became a popular figure in Turkey during spells in charge of Fenerbahce (1998-99) and Adanaspor (2001), and won the Austrian championship with the now-defunct FC Tirol Innsbruck in 2002 before heading to Austria Vienna.
In 2004, Jürgen Klinsmann brought him into the Germany set-up as his assistant. Klinsmann brought in a new attacking philosophy and used Löw, a far more talented tactician, to implement his ideas. The charismatic and highly influential Klinsmann and the tactically smart and also well-liked Löw formed a formidable team, reaching the semi-final of the Confederations Cup before losing to Brazil 3-2 in the best match of the tournament. Germany would defeat Mexico 4-3 after extra time in the third place match.
When Germany opened the 2006 FIFA World Cup on 9 June against Costa Rica in Munich the new tactics Löw and Klinsmann had introduced were put on display as Germany won 4–2 in a highly exciting match. A lucky but well-earned 1–0 victory over Poland and a 3–0 over Ecuador followed.
Germany was swept up in a wave of hope and the crowds were something the World Cup, and Germany in particular had never seen before. They would sweep aside Sweden in the Round of 16 in a superb performance with two Lukas Podolski goals, followed by a grueling battle with Argentina. Germany would emerge victorious on penalties after finishing extra time at 1–1.
The semi-final match with Italy arguably was the best match of the tournament. It was a gutting experience however, with the hosts falling 2–0 after reaching the 119th minute in extra time with the score at 0–0. However, Löw helped Klinsmann rally the troops and they turned in a brilliant performance against Portugal in the third place match, winning 3–1 on two Bastian Schweinsteiger goals.
The success gave Löw and especially Klinsmann iconic status in Germany.
Despite the team’s success in the tournament, Klinsmann resigned the following month for personal reasons and Löw was installed in his place. Qualifying for Euro 2008 with few problems, Löw then guided the side to the final, where they were beaten 1-0 by Spain. Germany’s impressive form continued in the World Cup 2010 qualifiers, as he topped Group Four and finished four points ahead of Guus Hiddink’s Russia.
Strengths: Löw is an intelligent tactician and prepares his teams well for upcoming matches. His record also suggests that, while his players have not won any silverware, he can inspire them to get the results they need to progress.
Weaknesses: Löw has plenty of critics and there is a feeling that, despite the good results, performances have not been up to the same standard for some time. Some feel that he is too inflexible when it comes to tactics and his selection policy has come under fire. Germany skipper Michael Ballack also publicly criticised Löw for his treatment of several players.
Tactics: Löw depends on a strong midfield but favours a 4-4-2 formation, with Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose up front. He has also utilised 4-2-3-1 and, in their final World Cup qualifier against Finland, Löw attempted a more experimental formation with Brazilian-born Stuttgart forward Cacau seemingly given a free role.
WC prediction: Although not considered among the absolute favourites, Germany have consistently delivered at tournaments and, if things go their way, must be treated as serious contenders to win the trophy.
