Germany’s Jogi Löw reflects somberly on COVID-19 outbreak in video conference

During a video press conference at the DFB headquarters in Frankfurt, Die Mannschaft manager Joachim Löw spoke about the outbreak of the COVID 19 virus and how mankind can learn lessons from this pandemic. The German national team is currently preparing to donate millions to various organizations and communities most affected by the outbreak of the virus and who need help the most.

When UEFA announced yesterday that they would postpone this summer’s European Championships, Löw expressed his frustration from a footballing perspective, but said there was really no other alternative.

Having had a lot of time to reflect on everything that’s been going on, Löw described the world as experiencing a “collective burnout” from the way humans have been living in recent years. Respect for others, he said, is something that really needs to be the focus in these difficult times (TZ):

The last few days have made me very thoughtful. The world has experienced a collective burnout. I have the feeling that the earth is turning on the human race. The pace that we humans set in the past years could no longer be surpassed. The thirst for power stood front and center; disasters touched us only on the periphery. Now we are experiences something that affects every single person. Now we realize that we must consider important things, what really counts in life: respect for one another! That we can still treat one another with respect in the future.

Löw went on to say that it’s everyone’s responsibility to help the people that they can help and not to panic:

You can panic now or look for sensible solutions. We have to look at one another and be attentive among one another. Football has very great significance, but there are things that are more important. I’m trying to help: my family, friends, people whom I can help.

It’s unclear at this point when the next training camp and matches will be for the German national team, so Löw and his coaching staff will have plenty of time to think about squad planning moving forward. For now, the main goal from UEFA’s perspective is to have all of Europe’s top leagues completed by the end of the summer, while it’s likely that the Nations League might be postponed or cancelled altogether. It thus could be some time before Löw has to select a roster.