Germany football coach Joachim Löw to quit after European Championship

Joachim Löw is to step down as Germany coach following this summer's European Championship, according to the country's football officials.

The German Football Federation (DFB) announced the news in a statement. It said that Löw asked to cancel his contract, which was to run in the 2022 World Cup, after this year's competition.

Löw will leave the post after 15 years in management, a period which saw him train Germany to the country's fourth World Cup title in Brazil in 2014.

Federation president Fritz Keller paid tribute to "one of the biggest coaches in world football."

"Jogi Löw has become German soccer like none other for years and helped it to the highest levels internationally," he said.

The 61-year-old said in a report that he was taking the step "full of pride and huge gratitude, but still with unwaveringly great motive as far as the future European Championship is regarded."

"Pride, because it is something very extraordinary for me and an honor to be involved for my nation, and because I have remained able to fight with the best players in the country for almost 17 years," he added.

The coach has been below average since a first-round exit at the last World Cup and subsequent dark achievements. Germany's last game was a 6-0 loss to Spain in the Nations League in November.

The Euro 2020 fight, hung last year because of the coronavirus pandemic, is due to be performed between June 11 and July 11, 2021.