Germany's Joachim Loew gets coaching contract extended through 2014
In a move that will consolidate Germany's status as the favorite to win soccer's 2012 European Championship and one of the two favorites, along with host Brazil, to win the 2014 World Cup, Joachim Loew has had his contract as national team coach extended through 2014.
Loew, 51, was appointed to his position in 2006 after helping then-Coach Juergen Klinsmann take Germany to third place in the 2006 World Cup, which Germany hosted.
He has subsequently reached the final of the 2008 European Championship, losing to Spain by a single goal, and to the semifinals of the 2010 World Cup, where Spain again ended Germany's run with a one-goal victory.
But with a plethora of promising players and a style that is as effective as it is attractive, Germany continues to rise, and that is in no small part due to the efforts of the charismatic Loew.
Extending his contract now and avoiding such issues during international soccer's next two major events is a smart move by the DFB, the German soccer federation.
"We believe that it makes sense to continue along this successful path with the national team," Loew said Tuesday. "[Assistants] Hansi Flick, Andreas Kopke, Oliver Bierhoff and I enjoy this wonderful job. We believe in the quality of our players and see good prospects for our team."
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-- Grahame L. Jones
Photo: Joachim Loew in 2010. Credit: Hannibal Hanschke / EPA
