|
Germany coach Joachim Low claimed his "joy and happiness will remain forever" after he guided his side to World Cup glory with a 1-0 win against Argentina's in Sunday's final in Rio. Low reserved special praise to the contribution of Jurgen Klinsmann in the revival of German football, that was started when the current U.S. national team coach took over the Die Nationalmannschaft after they hit rock bottom following an early exit from the Euro 2004 finals. A decade on and the project Klinsmann promoted alongside his appointed assistant Low reaped the more glorious success imaginable in Rio's Maracana, much to the delight of the politely spoken German head coach. "We started this project 10 years ago and this is the result of many years of work, beginning with Jurgen Klinsmann," reflected Low. "Over these years, we made constant progress, but champions will do what they have to do. If there is anybody who deserves it, it is this team. We have always played good football. The team has developed an unbelievable team spirit and they have the willpower to carry this out. "We are very proud of winning a World Cup in Rio, in Brazil, in the home of football. With all these emotions and the pressure that has accumulated on us, it's difficult to realize what is happening, but this joy and happiness will remain forever. "This team gave everything they had. I told them before the match that they will have to give more than they ever had before." Low reserved praise for his match-winner Mario Gotze, who came off the bench to score the iconic extra-time winner that ensured a fourth golden star to signify their latest World Cup success would be sewn into the Germany shirts when they next play an international match. "From the beginning, we knew that we would not have only 11 players, that we would need 14 and everyone must be in top shape during the tournament," stated Low. "This was important. You saw in the final phase and in extra time that Argentina was getting tired." "Gotze is a miracle boy. He can play any position and has superior technical qualities. I know he is able to decide a match and he scored a great decider today. "I told Gotze to show the world that you are better than [Lionel] Messi and that you can decide the World Cup. I had a good feeling with him." Low offered up a final note of thanks to the Brazilian people, who rallied behind his team to beat their South American rivals Argentina after Germany inflicted a harrowing 7-1 semi-final defeat on the host nation last Tuesday. "Brazil organized a great World Cup," added the successful Germany boss. "There was a lot of positive energy. It was one of the highlights of my career. "After we beat Brazil 7-1, the disappointment was enormous in the country. When we left the stadium, there were thousands of Brazilians who applauded us. We saw the people on the sidewalks with German flags." Klinsmann took to Twitter to praise the team and Low.
|
