Former national coach: Löw criticizes players and coaches in Germany

Former national coach Joachim Löw has criticized the German professionals and his colleagues for their behavior on and off the field.

He sees “players in Germany who fall with every physical contact and do not accept referee decisions, or coaches who are constantly with the fourth official.

I don't want that, I want respect for the sovereignty of the referee," Löw told kicker.

As a coach you have to “pay attention to the game.

Constantly pouncing on decisions is - despite all the emotion - definitely the wrong way and not the point of the game.

The fans want to see fairness on the pitch and not this constant falling without a foul,” emphasized the 62-year-old.

Leo ready for a return

He is therefore "a friend of the Premier League when it comes to behavior on the pitch, not technique or tactics.

Decisions made are accepted there.

The game goes on, there are few complaints, packs rarely form, physical contact doesn’t immediately result in falling and there are hardly any players who provoke fouls for themselves.” Löw said he saw “honest football, fast, hard, but decent football.

I always see the intention of the players to stay on their feet.”

Ronny Zimmermann, the Vice President of the German Football Association responsible for referees, wants unsportsmanlike behavior in the Bundesliga to be punished more severely again.

The DFB announced at the beginning of 2020 that fierce complaints and delays should be punished with a yellow card.

"It worked well at the beginning, but then unfortunately it slacked off," said Zimmermann on Deutschlandfunk.

"That's exactly why we brought it up again and are now in the process of turning back the wheel or shortening this leash where we actually want to go." If the 61-year-old official has his way, the referees should also take tougher action in amateur football .

Löw is also concerned about the many coaching layoffs in the Bundesliga.

"Basically, you have to ask yourself whether the clubs treat the coaches so well and whether the club's philosophy fits the type of coach.

In business, you take a lot of time for personnel decisions.

The many layoffs in football don't speak for the backbone of the clubs," he said.

Löw feels ready to return to football after a month-long hiatus.

"I do have the intention of taking on a role in football again," he said.

“The fun in this sport is too great for that.

I feel motivated again when I watch football now – that wasn't the case for a few months."

After 15 years as national coach, Löw left the DFB in the summer of 2021 following the knockout round at the European Championships and has since taken a break.

Now he would like to work as a coach again.

"If I feel a task appeals to me, I'm ready and attack again," he said.

But before that he wants to visit the World Cup in Qatar.

"I would like to experience a World Cup on site as an outsider," said Löw.

"That's why I haven't started a job yet."