Euro 2020: What next for the Round of 16 eliminated Germany?

Germany – Positives and Negatives

Löw is not the only one stepping away from the international setup following Germany’s exit from the Euro. Die Mannschaft has also bid farewell to Toni Kroos, their midfield metronome, who recently announced his retirement from international football.

Kroos, 31, will be a huge miss in the German midfield, and replacing him should be Flick’s top priority.

Clarity is also something Germany is in desperate need of at the moment. Löw’s final year in charge leading up to the Euro was not the most consistent. The tactician tried several different combinations, made some dubious decisions, and suffered some humbling defeats.

As a result, approaching the eve of the tournament, there wasn’t any subtlety to the 2014 World Cup winners’ tactics. They had one plan, and that was laid bare in all four of their matches.

How that affects the team going forward remains to be seen, but one can expect Flick to bring with him a new set of ideas and some much-needed freshness.

Flick’s arrival, of course, is the one big positive for the national team. The German FA had everything in place before the tournament began, and consequently, the passing of the torch becomes a much smoother process.

There isn’t the feeling of impending doom that often engulfs a big nation following their exit from a major tournament. Instead, the whole process feels organized and German fans can already look positively towards the future.