The legend of our times: 10 facts about German football coach Joachim Loew

The German football team reached unparalleled heights and then made a dangerous slip; it nourished some of the world's finest while turning a blind eye towards some others. All of this happened under the same man's guard. Here are 10 facts to know about the one and only Joachim Loew as he part ways with 'Die Mannschaft'.

Updated on:

29 Jun 2021, 6:16 pm

2 min read

Ever wondered how to pronounce his name right? Try practising 'yoa-kim-luv', so that you can declare his name without any worry from now on... (Photo | AP)

In case you find it difficult, fear not -- the man has got a nickname as well. He is fondly called 'Jogi' (pronounced Yogi) by colleagues and friends. Cute is it not? (Photo | FIFA.com)

They say walking 5km every morning is part of his daily routine. Some other stories suggest he loves to have his Italian vine floating in the pool. For hobbies, well, he has conquered the Kilimanjaro more than once and have been spotted in casinos playing poker for long hours. IN PIC: Loew and player Toni Kroos at a pre-match press conference. (Photo | AP)

Joachim is not very local about Germany but can go on ranting about Italy for hours. It is his favourite holiday destination and from clothing to cuisine, anything Italian is 'Mamma mia' for him. IN PIC: Loew, with then the FIFA President Joseph Sepp Blatter and Ralf Kellermann in 2014. (Photo | AP)

Needless to say, Loew loves his hair -- probably more than we do. During a media interaction, a scribe once asked him about the rumours regarding his hair being fake. The manager got offended (who wouldn't be!) and welcomed the journalist to pull his hair and find out himself. (Photo | FIFA.com)

In another incident involving media, the coach was asked about a German official's comment regarding the German football team and staff having 'a gay half.' The scribe indirectly questioned Joachim Loew of his sexual preference, only to receive a short and crisp response. 'You are most welcome to ask my wife,' said the World Cup winner. (Photo | AP)

How many of you can name the teams the legendary man has coached before signing the deal with the Die Mannschaft? Here it is: VfB Stuttgart, Fenerbahce, Karlsruher SC, Adanaspor, Wacker Innsbruck and Austria Wien. (Photo | AFP)

Though it feels like Loew has been the football manager for eternity, that hasn't been the case exactly. Like all other coaches, he was once a player himself and had won four caps for the German U-21 side. Loew played for many clubs including Eintracht Frankfurt, FC Schaffhausen, VfB Stuttgart etc and is the top-scorer in the history of second-division club SC Freiburg. (Photo | FIFA.com)

Only a handful of players have been lucky enough to debut for Germany in their late 20s or early 30s under him. That's right, Loew likes to groom players himself and most regulars of the current generation were picked by him when they were raw and still sprouting. So once you miss that ticket, it is really hard to get his attention. Many talented German players, despite perennial good show across European leagues, failed to make it to the national colours due to Loew's working style. Harsh! (Photo | AP)

Like it or not, Joachim Leow has the full backing of German Football Association (DFB) despite an astonishing group stage exit at the Russian World Cup. His current contract keeps him with the national side till 2022, and hence, Die Mannschaft is likely to play their third World Cup under him. Haters can go to hell. (Photo | AFP)