Klopp and Tuchel could lead Germany, Loew says

Berlin: Borussia Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp and his Mainz 05 counterpart Thomas Tuchel could one day take over the German soccer team, national coach Joachim Loew said on Monday.

Klopp has led Dortmund into the winter break with a Bundesliga-record 10-point lead over second-placed Mainz 05 and Bayer Leverkusen. Mainz equalled the best Bundesliga start with seven straight victories this season under 37-year-old Tuchel, the league`s youngest coach. “Klopp and Tuchel can lead the national team in their own way, that is clear,” Loew, who extended his contract until Euro 2012 after leading Germany to third place at the World Cup in South Africa, told the Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper. Both Dortmund, who have the league`s best attack and defence, and Mainz rely on a backbone of exciting young players, many of whom, including Dortmund`s Marcel Schmelzer and Mario Goetze and Mainz`s Andre Schuerrle and Lewis Holtby, have recently made their Germany debuts under Loew.“Both coaches have a specific direction and they follow it rigorously,” he said. “For me, the age (of a coach) plays a minor role. “I have the feeling (when talking with them) that they know exactly what they want,” said Loew, who took over from Juergen Klinsmann after the 2006 World Cup. Loew also steered Germany to the Euro 2008 final which they lost to Spain. Bureau Report