Germany seek redemption as Joachim Low starts swansong

Germany manager Joachim Low celebrates after winning the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Reuters

Germany manager Joachim Low celebrates after the 2014 World Cup final win over Argentina. AFP

Germany manager Joachim Loew celebrates with his players after beating Argentina at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. AFP

Left to right: Andreas Koepke, Joachim Low and Hansi Flick celebrating during a victory parade in Berlin after winning the 2014 World Cup. AFP

Joachim Low with the World Cup in 2014. AFP

Joachim Low during Germany's defeat to Spain in the Euro 2008 final in Austria. AFP

Spanish players applaud Joachim Loew after the Euro 2008 final. AFP

Germany manager Joachim Low during the third-place play-off against Uruguay at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Germany won the match 3-2. AFP

Germany manager Jurgen Klinsmann alongside his assistant Joachim Low at the 2006 World Cup. EPA

Joachim Low during the 2010 World Cup semi-final against Spain in Durban. Germany lost the game 1-0. AFP

Joachim Low during Germany's group-stage defeat against Mexico at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Reuters

Joachim Low during Germany's group-stage defeat against South Korea at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Reuters

Joachim Low during a training session at the 2018 soccer World Cup in Russia. AP

Germany will seek redemption for November's humiliating thrashing against Spain as Joachim Low's squad look to get the fans back behind them by winning their first three World Cup qualifiers.

Germany host Iceland in Duisburg on Thursday before facing Romania away on Sunday, then play North Macedonia three days later back in Duisburg.

"We want to start the European Championship year with an exclamation mark and please our fans again," Low said after naming teenagers Jamal Musiala, 18, and Florian Wirtz, 17, in his squad.

"Our ambition and goal is to get ourselves into a good starting position with three wins."

Low announced earlier this month that he will step down after the Euros after 15 years in charge.

He badly needs convincing wins to restore their fans' faith in Die Mannschaft following November's 6-0 rout by Spain which handed Germany their heaviest defeat since 1931.

In the aftermath, a survey of German fans by magazine Kicker showed 89 per cent felt Low had failed to rebuild the team since crashing out of the 2018 World Cup in the group stages.

It is a far cry from July 2014, when Low could seemingly do no wrong after masterminding Germany's World Cup triumph in Brazil.

The 61-year-old is desperate to end on a high at the Euros after three lean years which have badly tarnished his glittering legacy.

The three World Cup qualifiers are his last chance to look at options before naming his squad for the European Championship.

He has high hopes for Bayern Munich midfielder Musiala, who has dual nationality and has opted to play senior football for Germany despite two appearances for England's Under 21s last November.

Likewise, Leverkusen's Wirtz, the youngest ever scorer in the Bundesliga, is considered a bright prospect and has also been called up by Low for the first time.

The coach wants to see his players working hard in training to win starting places for Germany.

"We want to see in the training sessions and matches which players are imposing themselves, who definitely wants to be there," said Low.

He has been able to call up five Premier League players after Germany relaxed some of the Covid-19 travel restrictions at the weekend.

Nevertheless, Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, Chelsea trio Kai Havertz, Timo Werner and Antonio Rudiger plus Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno will be placed in a 'working quarantine' within the Germany camp.

The five will only be allowed contact with other players during training, team meetings and matches. Meals will be taken separately.

"The situation is aggravated, but we are not complaining," Bierhoff added.

There is also no room for Dortmund captain Marco Reus who has struggled for consistency after a lengthy injury lay off.

Low is also refusing to reverse his 2019 decision to end the international careers of Thomas Mueller, Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng.