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BERLIN 鈥� Germany coach Joachim L枚w will step down after this year's European Championship, bringing forward his previous plan to quit after the next World Cup.

The German soccer federation said Tuesday that L枚w asked to terminate his contract, which was to run through the 2022 World Cup, after this year's European tournament.

L枚w is the one of longest-serving coaches of a national team and has been in charge for 189 games. He took over after the 2006 World Cup and had been assistant coach to J眉rgen Klinsmann for two years before that.

鈥淚鈥檓 taking this step very consciously, full of pride and with gratitude, but still with the same motivation for the upcoming European Championship,鈥� L枚w said. 鈥淧ride, because it is something very special for me and an honour to be engaged for my country. And because I have been able to work with the best players in the country for almost 17 years.鈥�

脫scar Tab谩rez has been Uruguay coach since March 2006.

L枚w led Germany to the 2014 World Cup title, its fourth overall, but he has been under pressure since a first-round exit at the last World Cup and subsequent lacklustre performances.

L枚w wanted a shake-up of the team after the disappointing World Cup in Russia, and he axed the experienced trio Thomas M眉ller, J茅r么me Boateng and Mats Hummels to make room for younger players. But they haven't been able to make the step up.

Germany produced one disjointed performance after another last year with laboured wins over Ukraine and the Czech Republic. It conceded late equalizers against Spain, Switzerland and Turkey before the team's last game ended in a 6-0 loss to the Spanish in the Nations League in November. That was Germany's biggest losing margin since a 6-0 result against Austria in a friendly in Berlin in 1931.

鈥淏ig triumphs and painful defeats, but above all many wonderful and magic moments 鈥� not only the 2014 World Cup win in Brazil," L枚w said. "I will remain thankful to the federation for always providing myself and the team an optimal working environment.鈥�

Federation president Fritz Keller said L枚w's decision to quit after the European Championship is 鈥渉ighly respectable鈥� because it gives the governing body 鈥渢he necessary time to name his successor calmly and with a sense of proportion.鈥�

While there is no clear favourite, the names of Bayern Munich coach Hansi Flick, who was formerly L枚w's assistant with Germany, Liverpool coach J眉rgen Klopp, Ralf Rangnick and Germany under-21 coach Stefan Kuntz have all been mentioned as possible successors by German media.

Keller thanked the 61-year-old L枚w for his service.

鈥淭he federation knows what it has in Jogi. He is one of the biggest coaches in world soccer,鈥� Keller said. 鈥淛ogi L枚w has shaped German soccer like none other for years and helped it to the highest levels internationally.鈥�

There was praise, too, from Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, among others.

鈥淛oachim L枚w has overseen a hugely successful era for German soccer crowned by the 2014 World Cup win in Brazil,鈥� Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said.

Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke said L枚w's decision deserves 鈥渞espect,鈥� and he called on 鈥渆veryone in German soccer to play their part in giving Joachim L枚w the big send off he deserves in the summer.鈥�

L枚w said he would do all he can at the European Championship, which was postponed last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Germany has been drawn in a group with World Cup champion France, European champion Portugal and Hungary.

鈥淚'll give my best to make our fans happy and to be successful at this tournament,鈥� L枚w said.

Germany next plays World Cup qualifiers against Iceland and North Macedonia on March 25 and 31, respectively.

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This story has been corrected to show that L枚w is one of the longest-serving coaches of a national team, but not necessarily the longest-serving.

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Ciar谩n Fahey on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cfaheyAP

Ciar谩N Fahey, The Associated Press