Germany coach Joachim Loew said he wasn’t fully aware of his actions when he was filmed with his hand down his pants during the team’s opening game of the European Championship.

Footage of Loew during Sunday’s 2-0 win over Ukraine shows the 56-year-old coach place his hand down the front of his pants before repeating the process with his hand down the back.

"I saw the pictures the next day," Loew said Wednesday, on the eve of his team’s Group C match with Poland at Stade de France. "Naturally you do some things that you’re not aware of. I wasn’t aware of it somehow. But it happened and of course I’m sorry.

"You’re full of adrenalin and full of concentration and the things that happen then can’t be consciously taken as real," Loew added. "From now on I’ll try to conduct myself differently."

Germany forward Lukas Podolski defended his coach’s behaviour at the team’s tournament base in Evian-les-Bains on Tuesday.

"It’s not an issue in the team," Podolski said.