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Löw extends national football team contract

Germany's national football coach Joachim Löw and his staff said Tuesday they had agreed two-year extensions to their contracts hoping to build on the young team's bold showing at the World Cup.

Löw extends national football team contract

Löw, team manager Oliver Bierhoff and assistant coaches Hans-Dieter Flick and Andreas Köpke signed on with the German Football Federation (DFB) to 2012, when the European championships will be held.

The 50-year-old chief coach called the negotiations “uncomplicated,” without revealing details, and thanked DFB President Theo Zwanziger for his vote of confidence.

“We had a whole lot of fun at the World Cup and are looking forward to the work ahead,” Löw told reporters in the western city of Frankfurt, adding that he had informed a few of the players of his decision by text message.

“Many of them wrote back and congratulated me,” he said.

Germany finished third in the World Cup in South Africa, demolishing England 4-1 and favourites Argentina 4-0 before losing 1-0 to eventual champions Spain in the semi-finals. They then beat Uruguay 3-2 in a third-place playoff.

Löw has won 38 out of 55 matches since he succeeded Jürgen Klinsmann after the 2006 World Cup, taking Germany to the runners-up spot at Euro 2008.

Zwanziger said Löw had proven his knack for bringing the best out of Die Mannschaft.

“We now have an excellent foundation to achieve our most important targets,” he said.

“We have young, talented players, some of whom were playing at a world-class level in the last few weeks during the championships. We have an excellent nurturing programme for next-generation players. And we have a coach who fits perfectly with the team.”

Löw’s four-year deal expired on June 30, and talks over a new contract for him and his entire backroom staff broke down in February over financial details and Löw’s desire for more control over the Under-21 side.

Germany’s first qualifying match for Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine, will be against Belgium in Brussels on September 3.

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RACISM

VIDEO: Spain’s La Liga reviews video of boy racially abusing Vinicius

Spain's La Liga on Monday said it was reviewing a video of a child making racist insults towards Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior during the 2-2 draw with Valencia at the weekend.

VIDEO: Spain's La Liga reviews video of boy racially abusing Vinicius

“We’re in the process of studying and analysing the facts from a legal standpoint to see what we can and should do,” La Liga sources said.

In a video published by a journalist for ESPN Brasil, and picked up by Spanish media, a boy sitting in a woman’s lap can be heard calling Vinicius a “monkey”.

https://twitter.com/GravesenFumado/status/1764242481984491822

The Brazilian scored twice for Madrid as his team recovered from two goals down at Mestalla on Saturday.

Vinicius raised his fist in a “Black Power” salute after the first of his two goals at a ground where he was racially abused last season. Valencia subsequently banned three people from the stadium for life.

The 23-year-old has become a symbol of the fight against discrimination in Spanish football after suffering racist abuse on many occasions, and he was jeered repeatedly by home supporters on Saturday.

Jude Bellingham was sent off after the final whistle against Valencia for protesting after the referee blew the final whistle right before the England midfielder headed home what he thought was the winning goal.

READ ALSO: Football star Vinicius highlights racist behaviour from Spanish fans

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