Germany’s overhaul far from complete after Spain demolition

BERLIN ( Reuters) – Germany, planning to have an overhauled and tournamentready team at next year's European soccer championships, is running out of time, with coach Joachim Loew's changes so far failing to deliver.

A 6- 0 demolition by Spain on Tuesday was its heaviest defeat in almost 90 years and only added to its fluctuating form in recent months.

Loew brushed the defeat off as a “disastrous day” but the coach, in his 14th year in charge, has now seen his team exit in the first round of a tournament for the third straight time.

Winner of the 2014 World Cup, Germany crashed out in the tournament group stage four years later. It was then relegated from the Nations League competition a few months later after failing to win a single game and eventually stayed up only thanks to a rule change.

That exit prompted the start of Loew's overhaul as he dropped several world champions – including Thomas Mueller, Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels – in favor of younger players.

But the loss to Spain meant it is again out of the Nations League competition from the group stage.

“We saw today that we are not as far down the road as we had hoped to be,” Loew said of his team's dismal performance against the Spaniards.

“After the first goal we just gave up being organized. That was deadly. We charged out and just opened up all the spaces. We forgot about our game plan and just ran around out there.”

With falling TV figures, mounting criticism and Loew's refusal to recall Boateng and Thomas Mueller, who won five titles this year with Bayern Munich, and Hummels, the coach has worked himself in a corner.

Germany will next play again in March before a few more warm- up matches prior to the tournament start in June.

With a large pool of players to chose from, but without a fine- tuned core of starting players, the overhaul that started in 2018, is still largely a construction site seven months before the tournament.

“I have faith in my players,” Loew said. “Now our responsibility is to question everything and question ourselves as well. We have to draw the right conclusions.”

When asked if Loew would remain the coach until next year's Euros, national team director Oliver Bierhoff said: "Absolutely, yes. This game changes nothing. We still trust Joachim Loew, no doubt about that."

Egypt’s Salah, Elneny test positive for COVID- 19 again

Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah and Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny have returned another positive test for COVID19, the Egyptian Football Association said on Wednesday.

Salah had previously tested positive for the coronavirus last Friday, on the eve of Egypt's Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Togo, while Elneny tested positive three days later.

Salah, who is the joint leading scorer in the Premier League this season with eight goals, will miss the visit from league leaders Leicester City on Sunday.

He is also likely to be ruled out of Liverpool's Champions League game against Atalanta next Wednesday, while Elneny is expected to miss Arsenal's trip to Leeds United on Sunday and their Europa League clash at Molde on November 26.