Germany's collapse at the World Cup in Russia the following month meant the final act of Löw's long tenure would be a rebuild. Germany's showing in Russia was its worst World Cup campaign since 1938, and there's been more unwanted history since. Losing to North Macedonia ended a 20-year, 35-game unbeaten run for the national team in World Cup qualifying. AdInjuries have played their part, too, leading Löw to use defensive midfielder Emre Can at left back and right back in successive World Cup qualifiers. Löw has done some useful groundwork for his successor, like persuading 18-year-old Bayern forward Jamal Musiala to choose Germany over England.

For weeks Bayern Munich players had been showing solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement at games when Jerome Boateng was approached by teammates for a deeper conversation. Before our break, I talked actually to Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka about it, Boateng recalled on a video call. There are some situations of course that are really hard to help, but you can always help in a situation, the defender said. Now the German champions are preparing to take the field again in the Champions League next week, in the round of 16 against Chelsea where they lead 3-0 from the first leg in February. I think about racism you never can do enough as you see how bad it is still in the world right now," Boateng said.

Dortmund's head coach Lucien Favre attends the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and FC Bayern Munich in Dortmund, Germany, Tuesday, May 26, 2020. The German Bundesliga is the world's first major soccer league to resume after a two-month suspension because of the coronavirus pandemic. Its brutally hard, Dortmund coach Lucien Favre said. Asked if he was up to the task of winning trophies with Dortmund, Favre skirted around the question. All three were expensive signings for this season as Dortmund sought to finally break Bayerns hold on the title.