Jones sacked as Germany coach - Women's Football
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- Steffi Jones relieved of her duties as Germany women's coach
- Follows a disappointing showing at the SheBelieves Cup
- Horst Hrubesch will take charge of upcoming Women's World Cup qualifiers
Germany have parted company with women’s national team coach Steffi Jones, the German Football Association (DFB) has announced. Jones was sacked following a disappointing showing at the SheBelieves Cup, in which the team failed to win a single game.
“Steffi Jones went about her job as head coach with real commitment and dedication,” said DFB president Reinhard Grindel. “I would like to express our sincere thanks on behalf of the whole presidential board. She is and will remain a defining face of women’s football in Germany and I would be delighted if she stayed at the DFB in some other role in the women’s game.”
Having taken over the role after their triumph at the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament Rio 2016, the 45-year-old has struggled to maintain that success in her first position as a head coach. At the UEFA Women’s EURO 2017, Germany failed to reach the semi-finals for the first time in three decades. Their 3-0 defeat to France at the SheBelieves Cup was also their heaviest in almost eight years.
“We wanted to continue working with Steffi and give her another chance even after the disappointing Euros campaign,” team coordinator Oliver Bierhoff explained. “But, having assessed the on-the-pitch development, the important World Cup qualifying campaign and the mixed results at the SheBelievesCup, we came to the decision that the team needed a new direction.”
Former men’s U-21 coach Horst Hrubesch will oversee their upcoming pair of FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019™ qualifiers against Czech Republic and Slovenia on 7 and 10 April. Germany currently sit top of Group 5 after four games, though a 3-2 defeat to Iceland in October means they are not in complete control of their own destiny.
Hrubesch will be taking charge of his first role in the women’s game, though professed to “have followed the women’s game closely in recent years” and attended last year’s EURO. He led Germany's men’s Olympic side to silver medal success at Rio 2016, having also won U-19 and U-21 European titles in 2008 and 2009 respectively.