Germany coach Loew ´extends contract´

Germany’s national coach Joachim Loew and his three right-hand men have agreed two-year extensions to their contracts following the team’s World Cup success, press reports said Tuesday.

Loew was due to sign a new deal with the German Football Federation (DFB) later on Tuesday ahead of a news conference around midday (1000 GMT), the Sueddeutsche Zeitung and Bild dailies reported.

Team manager Oliver Bierhoff and assistant coaches Hans-Dieter Flick and Andreas Koepke were also due to sign two-year extensions to 2012, the papers said on their websites, without saying where they got the information.

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.

Loew, 50, has won 38 out of 55 matches since he succeeded Jurgen Klinsmann after the 2006 World Cup, taking Germany to the runners-up spot at Euro 2008.

His 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 Loew’s desire for more control over the Under-21 side.

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