Jürgen Klinsmann

Klinsmann was one the great strikers in his generation. In 2006 he lead Germany to the bronze medal in the World Cup.

Magnus Brink
tyskfotboll@hotmail.com

Jürgen Klinsmann is without doubt one of the great players of the 90's and one of Germany's best ever. Klinsmann, often called "Klinsi" and sometimes "der Schwabe" after is home soil in Swabia in southern Germany. He startade playing like most boys and his first clubs were TB Gingen and SC Geislingen. In 1978 things started to happen as he moved to Stuttgarter Kickers and started his way to being a professional football player instead of a baker. Klinsmann is an eduacated baker and his parents has a bakery just outside Stuttgart. He developed into a fierce striker and was then bought by "big brother" VfB Stuttgart in 1984 and 20 years old he made his first appearance in the Bundesliga. Stuttgart won the German Championship that year, just before Klinsmann arrived.

Klinsmann's development into one of the most promising players in the Bundesliga was seen by the staff of the national team and in 1987 Klinsmann made his debut against Brazil. His first international tournament was however the Olympics in Seoul in 1988. The team hade players like Thomas Hässler and Karlheinz Riedle. West Germany made their best appearance with Klinsmann scoring four goals. Klinsmann also played the Euro '88 in West Germany. West Germany failed to win the tournament but Klinsmann was considered as a fresh breeze scoring one goal. Klinsmann impressed in the Bundesliga being the topscorer 87/88 and showed som great scenes giving him the award as Player of the year.

World Champion
In 1990 Klinsmann and the last West German squad came to big tournament - Italia '90. Klinsmann was a part of a classic duo together with Rudi Völler in the front. Klinsmann scored three goals, including a beautiful goal against the rival the Netherlands in the second round i Milan. In the later parts of the tournament Klinsmann was taken down harch by defenders, even brutal in the final. West Germany won the final after Andreas Brehme's scored on penalty with five minutes to go.

Klinsmann was now an international top striker and was now playing for italian Inter. Klinsmann played with country men Lothar Matthäus and Andreas Brehme. In 1992 a Germany without team captain Matthäus reached the final after winning against Sweden in the semifinal. Klinsmann hade a poor tournament scoring only once. Instead it was Karlheinz Riedle that scored on three occasions. Germany failed to impress during the first part of the tournament.

Klinsmann at his very best in the USA
Klinsmann left Italy in 1994 to play for french side AS Monaco but it was the World Cup where he showed his best side that year. The world champions Germany met Bolivia in the first game with Klinsmann as match winner. In the second game against Spain Klinsmann scored Germany's goal in a draw. In the last game Klinsmann scored twice as Germany beat South Korea 3-2. Klinsmann was of course the leading striker for Germany and scored yeat again in the second round against Belgium. It all ended in tears as Bulgaria surprised in the quarter final by winning 2-1. Too bad for Germany that not every player had the same shape as Klinsmann.

Glory days with Tottenham
THe same year Klinsmann was for the second time German footballer of the year and got a new club adress when he joined Tottenham Hotspur on White Hart Lane. A great first season gave him the honour of being Player of the Year in England in 1995. This was after a bad start with Klinsmann falling easy on the pitch and therefore being namde "Diver" by the fans. Klinsmann was a good sport and after scoring he dived and became even more popular.

Home again
In 1995 Klinsmann returned to Germany but not to Stuttgart. Instead he went to powerful Bayern Munich and won the 1996 UEFA Cup and in 1997 the German championship. Klinsmann made impressive games on the european stage scoring as never before in the UEFA Cup 95/96. However it became obvious during his time in Bayern that he didn't get along with Lothar Matthäus - still they managed to play together. Later Matthäus returned to the national team and the conflict was forgotten - later however it has blossomed up again. Klinsmann was now the team captain in Germany - the position that formerly had belonged to Matthäus.

European champion
The same year Klinsmann retuerned to England with the national team to play the Euro '96. The Germans begann against the Czech Republic winning 2-0 - the team they eventually would meet in the final. Klinsmann was however suspended in this game and it was in the third game he showed his class. Two beautiful goals and Germany won 3-0. In the quarter final Klinsmann scored the first goal and Germany could win against Croatia after Sammer's 2-1. Klinsmann was injured against Croatia and was unable to play the semi final against England. Germany won a all but easy game after penalties. In the final Klinsmann was back and could lift the trophy after two goals from Oliver Bierhoff.

France 1998
In 1998 Klinsmann's capacity was questioned as the World Cup came near. Klinsmann was back in Tottenham after a short period in Sampdoria but wasn't scoring as before. He was more and more critisized but Klinsmann came back and hit the net again and after three goals in a league match Berti Vogts had no problem calling him up in the squad.

Klinsmann played together in the attack with Euro '96 hero Oliver Bierhoff. In the first match against USA Klinsmann showed his routine scoring with control to 2-0. Klinsmann went on to score against Iran and then in the second stage match against Mexico. Germany won the match after Bierhoff's winning header. In the quarter final against Croatia all went the wrong way. Germany lost 0-3 and this meant the end for Klinsmann's career. Klinsmann's had done a good World Cup with his three goals and good play along with Bierhoff. The two also got along fine outside the pitch.

In May 1999 he held his farewell game in Stuttgart with former stats like Rudi Völler, Ruud Gullit, Thomas Hässler, Jürgen Kohler and tennis player Boris Becker participating. Klinsmann is now living in the USA, his wife is American. Until 2004 he worked as adviser for the MSL side Los Angeles Galaxy. He is also well known for his work with his own foundation Agapedia. In 2000 he was one of the initiators of the Stiftung Jugendfussball to promote the youth football in Germany.

Klinsmann back in the heat
In the sommer of 2004 Klinsmann was back in the heat when he was appointed new head coach of the national team after the resign of Rudi Völler. Klinsmann had only been working as coach when he was assisting coach in Los Angeles Galaxy but had required the license needed, what neither Völler nor Beckenbauer had when they took charge of the national team.

Klinsmann initiated the long needed change of players when he started calling up new players into the squad: Mertesacker, Hitzlsperger and Huth to mention a few. In 2005 Germany under Klinsmann played attacking football and took bronze at the Confederations Cup in front of a celebrating home audience. In the same time Klinsmann was getting lots of critique for his new ideas. Klinsmann took in American fitness trainers with new methods. In the spring 2006 Germany lost 1-4 to Italy. When he choosed not to participate at ha conference during the spring 2006 new discussions came up. Klinsmann however was standing with both feet on the ground.

In the World Cup Germany won all three group stage games. After winning against Sweden and then in the quarter final against Argentina on penalties "Klinsi" became everybody's darling. In the semi final Germany lost to Italy after two goals in the last minutes during extra time. In the third place game the German team won 3-1 against Portugal. Klinsmann was celebrated even more - although reaching the goal of winning the World Cup. Germany had surprised everyone and critics became fans. Klinsmann made some unexpected decisions: he played Metzelder although Metzelder had had a poor season with injuries and Metzelder was made a great tournament. The surprise call-up David Odonkor made a good job in the four games he played. Klinsmann still choosed not to stay as coach not renewing his contract with the German football federation.

Back in Bayern
Klinsmann started to work as an expert commentator for German TV channel Arena in 2007. In 2008 he went back into being coach as he signed on as new head coach for Bayern Munich beginning in the season 2008/2009.

Facts

DOB: 30th June 1964

Caps: 108 (1987-1998)
Goals: 47
First Cap: Brazil 1987
Last Cap: Croatia 1998
36 caps as team captain

World Cup

Participation: 1990, 1994, 1998
Games: 17 (1990: 7 1994: 5 1998: 5)
Goals: 11 (1990: 3 1994: 5 1998: 3)

World Champion 1990

European Championship

Participation: 1988, 1992, 1996
Games: 13
Goals: 5 (1988: 1 1992: 1 1996: 3)

European Champion 1996
Runner-up 1992

Olympics

Participation: 1988
Games: 6
Goals: 4

Bronze 1988

Clubs

Tottenham Hotspur FC, England (1997-1998)
UC Sampdoria, Italy (1997)
FC Bayern München (1995-1997)
Tottenham Hotspur FC, England (1994-1995)
AS Monaco, France (1992-1994)
Inter-Milan, Italy (1989-1992)
VfB Stuttgart (1984-1989)
Stuttgarter Kickers (1978-1984)
SC Geislingen (1974-1978)
TB Gingen (1972-1974)

Honours

German championship (1) 1997
German footballer of the year (2) 1988, 1994
Top scorer in the Bundesliga (1) 1988

UEFA Cup (2) 1991, 1996

221 matches in the Bundesliga
110 goals in the Bundesliga

61 matches in the 2. Bundesliga
22 goals in the 2. Bundesliga

103 matches in Serie A
36 goals in Serie A

56 matches in the Premier League
29 goals in the Premier League
Player of the year in England 1995

65 matches in the French league
29 goals in the French League

58 matches in the European cups/27 goals

Coaching career

National team coach Germany 2004-2006