Germany's 6-0 loss in Spain confirms national team's decline

Germany’s 6-0 thrashing had been coming for some time. team coached by Joachim Löw has been in decline since losing to France in European Champions semifinals in 2016, and slide arguably started before that, after World Cup win in 2014.

Löw was supposed to reinvigorate squad with fresh young talent after Germany’s woeful World Cup showing in 2018. defending champions were eliminated early after losing to Mexico and South Korea in group st.

Löw promised a shakeup. Mesut Özil retired from squad amid fallout for debacle, and Löw cut short international careers of stalwarts like Thomas Müller, Mats Hummels and Jérôme Boateng.

ir replacements have t lived up to expectations, and former players like Bastian Schweinsteiger and Lothar Matthäus have been calling for Bayern Munich trio's return.

humiliating 6-0 loss to Spain in Nations League on Tuesday was biggest for a German team since a 6-0 thrashing against Austria in a friendly in Berlin in 1931. Only England has ever won by more, 9-0 in a friendly in Oxford in vember 1909.

“w we kw where we are,” Germany forward Serge Gnabry said after Tuesday’s match in Seville.

warning signs were re before. Germany had produced one uninspiring performance after ar this year in labored wins over Ukraine and Czech Republic, while conceding late equalizers in draws against Spain, Switzerland and Turkey.

A 3-3 draw against Switzerland in October offered some hope as Germany fought back from two goals down to earn a point, but defensive frailties remained apparent.

“We thought we were a step furr after last games and this year, which has been generally difficult,” Löw said of a schedule that has been complicated by coronavirus pandemic. “w we’ve had to take a real setback. We’ll have to see how we deal with it among coaching staff. Unfortunately we don’t have option of working with players, to train or to play a game.”

Germany played three games in October and three in vember, and team is arguably worse off w than it was before.

At st since Germany’s World Cup exit in 2018 has team shown signs of progress, and re are fears w of ar debacle at next year's postponed European Championship. Germany has been drawn in a group with France, Portugal and Hungary.

re are questions about Löw’s suitability to lead change after 189 games in charge.

“ trust in Joachim Löw is still re, absolutely," Germany team director Oliver Bierhoff said. "thing’s changed with this game.”

It seems unlikely that German soccer federation will opt for a change w. re are only seven months before Euro 2020 is scheduled to start, and Löw will only have his team toger again in March for final preparations.

“I hope we have eugh time,” Bierhoff said.

(Im credit: AP)