Jürgen Klinsmann
Template:Short description Template:Redirect Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox football biography
Jürgen Klinsmann (Template:IPA;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> born 30 July 1964) is a German professional football manager and former player. He played for several prominent clubs in Europe including VfB Stuttgart, Inter Milan, Monaco, Tottenham Hotspur, and Bayern Munich. He was part of the West German team that won the 1990 FIFA World Cup and the unified German team that won the UEFA Euro 1996.
As a manager, Klinsmann managed the German national team to a third-place finish at the 2006 FIFA World Cup and was subsequently coach of a number of other teams including, notably Bundesliga club Bayern Munich and the United States national team.
Considered one of Germany's premier strikers during the 1990s, Klinsmann scored in all six major international tournaments he participated in for Germany, from the UEFA Euro 1988 to the 1998 FIFA World Cup. In 1995, he came in third in the FIFA World Player of the Year award; in March 2004 he was named in the FIFA 100 list of the "125 Greatest Living Footballers".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2016, he became the fifth player to be named as honorary captain of Germany.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Club career
1972–1981: Youth career
Klinsmann is one of four sons of master baker Siegfried Klinsmann (died 2005) and his wife Martha (died 2021). At age eight, he began playing for TB Gingen, an amateur football club in Gingen an der Fils. Six months later, he scored 16 goals in a single match for his new club.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> At age ten, he moved to SC Geislingen. When he was 14 years old, his father bought a bakery in Stuttgart, the state capital. After the family relocated there, Klinsmann continued to play for SC Geislingen, even after he was spotted in a Württemberg youth selection. In 1978, aged 14, he signed a contract with Stuttgarter Kickers, the club where he would turn professional two years later. His parents decided he should first finish his apprenticeship as a baker in their family business, which he completed in 1982.<ref name=442interview>Template:Cite news</ref>
1981–1989: Stuttgarter Kickers and VfB Stuttgart
Klinsmann began his professional career in 1982 at the then-second division side Stuttgarter Kickers.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> By 1982–83, he was already a regular starter and by the end of the 1983–84 season, he had scored 19 goals for the club. Horst Buhtz, a Stuttgarter Kickers former coach, recalls Klinsmann benefited from intensive training from Horst Allman, who was one of the best sprint coaches in Germany at that time. At the beginning of the new season, he managed to improve his 100 m dash from 11.7 to 11.0 seconds.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 1984, Klinsmann moved to first division rivals VfB Stuttgart. In his first season at the club, he scored 15 goals and was the team's joint top scorer with Karl Allgöwer. Despite his goal scoring efforts, he could not prevent his new club from finishing tenth in the league. During each of the 1985–86 and 1986–87 seasons, he scored 16 goals and reached the 1986 final of the DFB-Pokal, losing against Bayern Munich 2–5, but scoring the last goal of the match. In the 1987–88 season, he scored 19 goals – including a legendary overhead kick against Bayern – and was the Bundesliga's top goalscorer.
In 1988, the 24-year-old Klinsmann was named German Footballer of the Year. After reaching the 1988–89 UEFA Cup final with Stuttgart (eventually losing to Diego Maradona's inspired Napoli 5–4 on aggregate), Klinsmann moved to Italian club Inter Milan on a three-year contract, joining two other German internationals, Lothar Matthäus and Andreas Brehme.
1989–1992: Inter Milan
In spite of the heavily defensive orientated tactics of head coach Giovanni Trapattoni, Klinsmann scored 13 goals as the Nerazzurri finished third in Serie A. He became one of the most popular foreign players in Italy, mostly because he had learnt Italian and earned himself the respect of the fans with his appearance and language skills.
During the next season, Klinsmann won the UEFA Cup with Inter (2–1 on aggregate against Roma) and repeated his previous performance in the league with 14 goals; his contract was extended until 1994. A disastrous 1991–92 season caused all plans to fall through. Inter never managed to gain any momentum under coach Corrado Orrico and finished eighth in the league, with Klinsmann only scoring seven goals and the team being divided and fragmented into groups. It was clear for Klinsmann this would be his last season at the San Siro.
1992–1994: AS Monaco
After UEFA Euro 1992, Klinsmann moved to Monaco and catapulted the club to a second-place finish in the league in his first season. After the bribery scandal by Marseille and their subsequent disqualification as league winners, Monaco replaced them in the 1993–94 UEFA Champions League, reaching the semi-final before finally losing to eventual winners Milan. The following season, Monaco only managed a ninth-place finish in the league. Klinsmann, who had missed two months due to a torn ligament, was mostly deployed as a lone-striker and started criticizing the attitude of his teammates. In 1994, he left the club early, with one more year remaining on his contract.<ref>Thürmer/Götting: Jürgen Klinsmann – Vom Weltmeister zum Superstar. 1996, p. 75f</ref>
1994–1995: Tottenham Hotspur
Klinsmann moved to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League for the 1994–95 season, where the fans and media were very critical of the German because of his reputation as a diver.<ref name=442interview/> He was signed by Spurs in July 1994 from Monaco for £2 million.<ref>Blickensdörfer: Jürgen Klinsmann, 1995, p. 55f</ref> On his debut against Sheffield Wednesday, he scored the winning header and immediately won over fans with his goal celebration by self-deprecatingly diving to the ground.<ref name=442interview/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A Guardian journalist who had written an article called "Why I Hate Jürgen Klinsmann", wrote another two months later called "Why I Love Jürgen Klinsmann".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Klinsmann went on to win the 1995 Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year.<ref name="Observer">Template:Cite news</ref>
Because of his humour, but also because of his athletic achievements and his combative playing style, Klinsmann quickly became extremely popular in England; over 150,000 of his shirts were sold.<ref>Thürmer/Götting: Jürgen Klinsmann – Vom Weltmeister zum Superstar. 1996, p. 99</ref> He now holds legendary status at Spurs and was inducted into Madame Tussauds Wax Museum.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Klinsmann scored 21 goals in the 1994–95 season for Spurs and a total of 30 in all competitions, including a late winner against Liverpool in the quarter-final of the FA Cup. He also found the net in the semi-final, but Spurs missed out on a place in the final by losing 4–1 to Everton.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1995–2003: Final years
Klinsmann then had a successful spell at Bayern Munich during the 1995–96 and 1996–97 season. He was the club's top goalscorer during both seasons, and won the 1995–96 UEFA Cup, setting a new goalscoring record of 15 goals in 12 matches during the competition (a record that stood until 2011).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A year later, he also became German champion as he won the Bundesliga.
He then briefly moved to Italy for Sampdoria, but left the team in the winter and returned to Tottenham Hotspur. During his second stint at Tottenham in the 1997–98 season, his goals saved the club from relegation, particularly the four goals he scored in a 6–2 win at Wimbledon.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He played the last match of his high-level club career in 1998 on the final day of the Premier League against Southampton.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
After retiring and moving to the United States, in 2003 Klinsmann played for Orange County Blue Star, an amateur team in the fourth-tier Premier Development League.<ref name=442interview/>
International career
On 12 December 1987, Klinsmann debuted for the West German senior squad in a 1–1 friendly draw against Brazil.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was an important part of the West German team that won the 1990 FIFA World Cup. After qualifying for the round of 16, Germany was to play the Netherlands, against whom they had lost two years earlier at UEFA Euro 1988. After Rudi Völler was sent off in the 22nd minute, Klinsmann was forced to play as a lone striker. He scored the 1–0 opener and his performance received considerable praise. German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung wrote that "In the last decade, not a single forward of a DFB team has offered such a brilliant, almost perfect performance."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After further victories over Czechoslovakia (1–0) and England (1–1 after extra time, 4–3 on penalties), he became a world champion after beating Argentina 1–0 in the final. Klinsmann is remembered for being fouled by the Argentinian Pedro Monzón, who was subsequently sent off, reducing Argentina to ten men. Many critics called the incident a prime example of Klinsmann's diving, a claim he contradicted. In a 2004 interview, he noted that the foul left a 15 cm gash on his shin.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His last international tournament with Germany was the 1998 FIFA World Cup, in which they were eliminated in the quarter-finals by surprising debutants Croatia.
Coaching career
Germany
On 26 July 2004, Klinsmann returned to Germany as the new head coach of the national team,<ref name="Klinsmann wird neuer DFB-Teamchef">Template:Cite news</ref> succeeding former teammate and strike partner Rudi Völler. Klinsmann subsequently embarked on an aggressive program to revamp the management of the team. Bringing fellow German striker Oliver Bierhoff on board helped diffuse public relations duties of the previous combined post away from the actual coaching aspect of the position. Furthermore, he created a youth movement to breathe life into an aging squad on the heels of a disastrous showing at Euro 2004. In the run-up to the 2006 World Cup, Klinsmann attracted criticism from German fans and the media following poor results, such as the 4–1 loss to Italy. A particular subject of criticism was that Klinsmann commuted to Germany from the U.S., which was the target of a campaign by the tabloid Bild. Klinsmann previously eliminated some privileges Bild traditionally had with the national team, such as receiving the team lineup the day before a match and 24/7 exclusive access to the team. His largely offensive tactics have irritated some, who complained he ignored defensive football. He announced a squad of young players for the 2006 World Cup, basing his selection policy on performance, not reputation.
During the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup, he regularly rotated his goalkeepers regardless of their performances, which drew the ire of Bayern Munich's Oliver Kahn. On 7 April 2006, Klinsmann finally decided to relegate Kahn to the bench and designated Arsenal's Jens Lehmann as his first choice goalkeeper. This choice followed Lehmann's performances in the 2005–06 UEFA Champions League in which his Arsenal team bowed out in the final against Barcelona.
In the 2006 World Cup, Germany's performances silenced Klinsmann's critics, which included the form of an English song: "Who Do You Think You Are Kidding Jurgen Klinsmann?" The team recorded three-straight wins against Costa Rica, Poland and Ecuador in the group stage, earning Germany first place in Group A. The first match of the knockout stage was a 2–0 victory over Sweden, and in the quarter-finals, Klinsmann's team defeated Argentina, winning 4–2 on penalties. The teams drew 1–1 after 120 minutes after an equalising goal from Miroslav Klose in the 80th minute.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In the semi-final on 4 July, Germany lost a close match with Italy 2–0 after goals in the final minutes of extra time from Fabio Grosso and Alessandro Del Piero.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After the match, Klinsmann praised the performance of his young team. They beat Portugal 3–1 in the third place play-off, where he played Kahn instead of Jens Lehmann.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The victory triggered a massive parade in Berlin the following day where Klinsmann and the team were honoured by the public.
Afterward, Franz Beckenbauer, previously a strident critic of Klinsmann's, declared his desire to see Klinsmann continue as coach. There was also widespread public support for Klinsmann due to his team's spirit and attacking style of play. The team's strong performance is thought by some to have renewed national pride and restored Germany's reputation as a top soccer nation. Due to his success coaching the national team, Klinsmann was awarded the Bundesverdienstkreuz.
Despite the highly acclaimed performance at the World Cup and the praise earned, Klinsmann declined to renew his contract, informing the German Football Association (DFB) of his decision on 11 July 2006. The decision was officially announced by the DFB on 12 July 2006. Klinsmann's assistant, Joachim Löw, was appointed as the new head coach at the same press conference.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Klinsmann said, "My big wish is to go back to my family, to go back to leading a normal life with them... After two years of putting in a lot of energy, I feel I lack the power and the strength to continue in the same way."<ref name="Klinsmann quits as Germany coach">Template:Cite news</ref>
Bayern Munich
In January 2008, it was announced that Klinsmann would become Bayern Munich coach in July, succeeding Ottmar Hitzfeld.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After beginning his role, Klinsmann made large changes to the club's training ground and structure in an attempt to modernise the club's culture.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Notably, he installed Buddha statues in the training ground, which were criticised in the media and quickly removed.<ref name="Kinast">Template:Cite news</ref>
Bayern started the season poorly and Klinsmann came under pressure as early as September, after a 5-2 home loss to Werder Bremen.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After a 3-3 draw with VfL Bochum in October, Bayern were in 11th place in the Bundesliga and some fans chanted that Klinsmann should be sacked.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Bayern reached the quarter-final of the Champions League, after beating Sporting CP 12-1 on aggregate in the first knockout round, a Champions League record.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> However, they would lose heavily to eventual winners FC Barcelona in the next round, losing the first leg 4-0. Franz Beckenbauer described the team's performance as "the most dreadful I've ever seen from a Bayern team."<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Earlier that week, Bayern had lost 5-1 to Felix Magath's VfL Wolfsburg in a crucial league match.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Klinsmann was sacked on 27 April 2009<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> with five matches remaining.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His final match was a 1–0 loss to Schalke 04.<ref name="2008–09 season">Template:Cite web</ref> Bayern were in third-place at the time of the sacking.<ref name="2008–09 league table">Template:Cite web</ref> Klinsmann finished with a record of 25 wins, nine draws, and 10 losses in all competitions.<ref name="Bayern München - Trainerhistorie">Template:Cite web</ref>
Following Klinsmann's time with Bayern, Bayern team captain Phillip Lahm wrote in his autobiography that Klinsmann's tenure with the club was a "failure" and that Klinsmann's lack of tactical instruction required the players to meet before kickoff to discuss strategy.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Although they were largely criticised at the time, some of the changes he made at Bayern have since been recognised as helping contribute to the club's subsequent success.<ref name="Kinast"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Toronto FC
In November 2010, Klinsmann was hired as a technical consultant for Major League Soccer (MLS) club Toronto FC to advise on an overhaul of the club's coaching and playing personnel, leading the club to hire Aron Winter as head coach and Paul Mariner as technical director the following year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Both Winter and Mariner would later be fired by the club during a last place finish in the 2012 season.
United States
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On 29 July 2011, Klinsmann was named the 35th head coach of the United States national team,<ref name="ussoccer-announcement">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Klinsmann trainiert das US-Team">Template:Cite news</ref> replacing previous manager Bob Bradley, who had been fired following a 4–2 loss to Mexico in the final of the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
The U.S. struggled in friendly games early in Klinsmann's tenure, losing four matches and drawing one before ending the 2011 season with a victory over Slovenia. On 29 February 2012, the U.S. national team recorded a historic 1–0 victory in a friendly match away against Italy, its first win against the four-time World Cup champions.<ref name="Miami Herald US Italy">Template:Cite news</ref> On 15 August 2012, Klinsmann coached the U.S. to a historic 1–0 win against long time rivals Mexico in a friendly held at the Estadio Azteca, giving the U.S. its first victory in the stadium.
In 2013, Klinsmann led the U.S. team into the final round of qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, beginning with a 2–1 loss at Honduras before earning a point with a scoreless draw against Mexico in the Azteca. On 2 June 2013, the United States played their centennial celebratory game against Germany, where Klinsmann coached them to a 4–3 win over his native country. On 28 July, Klinsmann coached the U.S. team to their fifth CONCACAF Gold Cup title, defeating Panama 1–0 in the final.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 10 September 2013, following a 2–0 win over Mexico, the United States secured qualification for the World Cup. On 12 December 2013, Klinsmann signed a new contract extension with the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), lasting until 2018.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2014 World Cup
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Klinsmann surprised the U.S. football world in May 2014 by selecting five so-called "Jurgen Americans", players with American serviceman fathers and German mothers who had all been born and professionally trained in Germany, to the 23-men squad in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.<ref name="orange">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="atlantic">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="WWL">Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead link</ref> His selection particularly received criticism when he cut all-time leading U.S. scorer Landon Donovan from the final roster for the 2014 World Cup following the team's preliminary training camp.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Klinsmann described it as "the most difficult decision of [his] coaching career" but that he sees other players "slightly ahead of [Donovan]".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Klinsmann faced further controversy after his son Jonathan posted a comment on Twitter ridiculing Donovan,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> causing some to speculate that the decision was influenced by personal animosity between Klinsmann and Donovan.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On 16 June, Klinsmann guided the United States to a 2–1 win over Ghana in their first match of the 2014 World Cup, behind an early strike from captain Clint Dempsey and a dramatic 86th-minute header from substitute John Brooks. On 22 June, his side drew 2–2 against Portugal in the second group match. A defensive miscue early in the game led to an easy Portugal goal, but Jermaine Jones equalized with a strike from 30 yards out in the second half. Then, in the 81st minute, Dempsey scored to give the U.S. a 2–1 lead. The score remained 2–1 until the final seconds of stoppage time where Cristiano Ronaldo sent a cross that was headed past U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard by Silvestre Varela.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 26 June, the U.S. faced Germany. With possible elimination looming again as their round of 16 spot hung in the balance, the U.S. fell to the Germans, 1–0, but the hope of surviving the "group of death" remained alive in the Portugal–Ghana game in which Portugal defeated Ghana, 2–1, sending the U.S. to the round of 16.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The U.S. drew Belgium in the round of 16. After spending much of the match defending against Belgium's potent attack, with goalkeeper Tim Howard setting a World Cup finals record for saves in a match, the U.S. survived with a 0–0 score after 90 minutes, sending the match to extra time. After quickly falling behind 2–0 to Belgium in extra time, the U.S. cut the deficit in half in the 107th minute when substitute Julian Green volleyed in a lobbed through ball from Michael Bradley, but were unable to score a second and were eliminated.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2018 World Cup cycle
Klinsmann led the U.S. to a 1–0 win over Czech Republic to open the new 2018 World Cup cycle on 3 September, its first win over the Czechs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 5 June 2015, Klinsmann guided the U.S. to a dramatic 4–3 win over the Netherlands in a friendly in Amsterdam and another friendly victory over Germany five days later.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The U.S. under Klinsmann finished fourth in the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup following losses to Jamaica in the semi-finals and Panama in the third place match, the team's worst performance in the tournament since 2000. In 2016, Klinsmann successfully advanced the U.S. through its first round of World Cup qualification out of a group containing Guatemala, Trinidad and Tobago, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The U.S. opened the final World Cup qualification round in November 2016 with a 2–1 home defeat to Mexico and a 4–0 away defeat to Costa Rica. Following the losses, which left the U.S. at the bottom of the qualification table, Klinsmann was fired by the USSF on 21 November 2016, being replaced by LA Galaxy manager Bruce Arena, who had previously coached the team from 1998 to 2006. Ultimately, the U.S. failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Hertha BSC
On 27 November 2019, Klinsmann became the new manager of Hertha BSC, replacing Ante Čović.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 11 February 2020 he announced via Facebook that he would step down as coach after having been in this position for just ten weeks.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Despite stating his intention of remaining part of the club's supervisory board, he was ultimately barred from doing so as Hertha's investor Lars Windhorst publicly criticized his behavior, calling the manner of his departure "unacceptable".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
South Korea
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On 27 February 2023, Klinsmann was named head coach of South Korea, replacing Paulo Bento<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> on a contract through the conclusion of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Klinsmann was described as highly unpopular with South Korean fans due to his unusual practice of spending long periods out of South Korea, alleged lack of interest in players in the K League 1 and questionable squad selections. Following the team's poor performances in friendly matches, criticism of Klinsmann ramped up.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This grew increasingly problematic during the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, when South Korea had only a win and two draws in the group stages (3-1 Bahrain), (2-2 Jordan), (3-3 Malaysia), forcing a challenging knockout game against Saudi Arabia. During this match, Klinsmann's tactics and player selections were highly criticised.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the end, South Korea lost to Jordan, 2–0, in the semifinal on 7 February, prompting heavy scrutiny of Klinsmann's tactics and work ethic from the South Korean public and the team.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 16 February, the Korea Football Association fired Klinsmann, citing "failure to demonstrate leadership" as one of the reasons.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Charity work and social engagements
In 1995, Klinsmann and some of his close friends founded the children charity foundation Agapedia, which stems from the Greek language and translates to "Love for Children". In 1997, Klinsmann, acting as the captain of the Germany national team, visited the Holocaust memorial place Yad Vashem in Israel alongside his coach Berti Vogts. This visit was televised around the globe and drew worldwide attention.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Klinsmann is also a board member of the German Initiative Für die Zukunft lernen, which means "Learning for the future", and supports the education of young people about the Holocaust.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In May 1999, Klinsmann donated all the proceeds from his farewell match (more than US$1 million) to different children's charity organizations. The match was a sell-out with 54,000 fans in Stuttgart's Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion. Famous personalities such as Bryan Adams, Boris Becker and many others contributed to this event.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Personal life
Klinsmann was born in Göppingen.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Gopp"/> His family moved to Stuttgart when he was a teenager.<ref name="Gopp">Template:Cite news</ref> Klinsmann's family operates a bakery in Stuttgart's Botnang district and consequently he is sometimes affectionately referred to as the "baker's son from Botnang". Klinsmann is, in fact, a journeyman baker, having served an apprenticeship.<ref name=442interview/>
He is married to Debbie Chin (Template:Lang-zh),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> an American former model of Chinese descent, having proposed to her back in 1995; they wed later that year in Milan.Template:Citation needed
Klinsmann lives in Huntington Beach, California. He and his wife have two children.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Son Jonathan, a goalkeeper, has been capped at age group level for the United States U-20 team.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Aside from German, Klinsmann is fluent in English, Italian and French,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and is a certified commercial helicopter pilot.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He is a naturalized U.S. citizen.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Klinsmann has also worked as a pundit, working with ESPN for the 2010 World Cup, and with BBC Sport at the 2018 World Cup and 2020 European Championship. He works on ESPN FC as of 2021. He wrote the daily email newsletter from Qatar for BBC Sport during the World Cup 2022.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
On 25 November 2022, following Iran's 2–0 victory over Wales in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Klinsmann received backlash after his controversial comments made on BBC. Klinsmann claimed that the reason Iran won was because they used dirty tactics to manipulate Guatemalan referee Mario Escobar and that it was a part of Iranian football culture to play dirty. He then went on to claim that head coach Carlos Queiroz was a failure during his stint at Colombia and Egypt, stating "This is not by coincidence, this is all [done] purposely ... This is just part of their culture."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Carlos Queiroz responded inviting Klinsmann to the Iran camp to show him what Iranian football culture truly is, and petitioned FIFA to remove him as a member of the Qatar 2022 Technical Study Group.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In April 2023, Klinsmann was one of the 22 personal guests at the ceremony in which former Chancellor Angela Merkel was decorated with the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit for special achievement by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at Schloss Bellevue in Berlin.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cupTemplate:Efn | League cupTemplate:Efn | Europe | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Stuttgarter Kickers | 1981–82 | 2. Bundesliga | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 6 | 1 | ||
| 1982–83 | 2. Bundesliga | 20 | 2 | 2 | 1 | – | – | 22 | 3 | |||
| 1983–84 | 2. Bundesliga | 35 | 19 | 2 | 2 | – | – | 37 | 21 | |||
| Total | 61 | 22 | 4 | 3 | – | – | 65 | 25 | ||||
| VfB Stuttgart | 1984–85<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | Bundesliga | 32 | 15 | 4 | 2 | – | 2 | 0 | 38 | 17 | |
| 1985–86<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | Bundesliga | 33 | 16 | 6 | 4 | – | – | 39 | 20 | |||
| 1986–87<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | Bundesliga | 32 | 16 | 1 | 2 | – | 4Template:Efn | 1 | 37 | 19 | ||
| 1987–88<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | Bundesliga | 34 | 19 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 35 | 19 | |||
| 1988–89<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | Bundesliga | 25 | 13 | 4 | 2 | – | 8Template:Efn | 4 | 37 | 19 | ||
| Total | 156 | 79 | 16 | 10 | – | 14 | 5 | 186 | 94 | |||
| Inter Milan | 1989–90 | Serie A | 31 | 13 | 4 | 2 | – | 2Template:Efn | 0 | 37 | 15 | |
| 1990–91 | Serie A | 33 | 14 | 4 | 0 | – | 12Template:Efn | 3 | 49 | 17 | ||
| 1991–92 | Serie A | 31 | 7 | 5 | 1 | – | 1Template:Efn | 0 | 37 | 8 | ||
| Total | 95 | 34 | 13 | 3 | – | 15 | 3 | 123 | 40 | |||
| Monaco | 1992–93 | Division 1 | 35 | 20 | 2 | 0 | – | 4Template:Efn | 0 | 41 | 20 | |
| 1993–94 | Division 1 | 30 | 10 | 3 | 2 | – | 10Template:Efn | 4 | 43 | 16 | ||
| Total | 65 | 30 | 5 | 2 | – | 14 | 4 | 84 | 36 | |||
| Tottenham Hotspur | 1994–95 | Premier League | 41 | 20 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 4 | – | 50 | 29 | |
| Bayern Munich | 1995–96<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | Bundesliga | 32 | 16 | 1 | 0 | – | 12Template:Efn | 15 | 45 | 31 | |
| 1996–97<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | Bundesliga | 33 | 15 | 4 | 2 | – | 2Template:Efn | 0 | 39 | 17 | ||
| Total | 65 | 31 | 5 | 2 | – | 14 | 15 | 84 | 48 | |||
| Sampdoria | 1997–98 | Serie A | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | 10 | 2 | |
| Tottenham Hotspur (loan) | 1997–98 | Premier League | 15 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 18 | 9 | |
| Career total | 506 | 227 | 53 | 25 | 3 | 4 | 58 | 27 | 620 | 284 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Germany | 1987 | 2 | 0 |
| 1988 | 8 | 2 | |
| 1989 | 4 | 1 | |
| 1990 | 12 | 4 | |
| Total | 26 | 7 | |
| Germany | 1990 | 3 | 2 |
| 1991 | 4 | 0 | |
| 1992 | 13 | 2 | |
| 1993 | 10 | 6 | |
| 1994 | 14 | 11 | |
| 1995 | 9 | 6 | |
| 1996 | 14 | 7 | |
| 1997 | 7 | 2 | |
| 1998 | 8 | 4 | |
| Total | 82 | 40 | |
- Scores and results list West Germany's and Germany's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Klinsmann goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goals scored for West Germany | ||||||
| 1 | 27 April 1988 | Fritz-Walter-Stadion, Kaiserslautern, West Germany | Template:Fb | 1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 2 | 14 June 1988 | Parkstadion, Gelsenkirchen, West Germany | Template:Fb | 1–0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 1988 |
| 3 | 4 October 1989 | Westfalenstadion, Dortmund, West Germany | Template:Fb | 3–0 | 6–1 | 1990 FIFA World Cup qualifying |
| 4 | 25 April 1990 | Neckarstadion, Stuttgart, West Germany | Template:Fb | 3–2 | 3–3 | Friendly |
| 5 | 10 June 1990 | Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan, Italy | Template:Fb | 2–0 | 4–1 | 1990 FIFA World Cup |
| 6 | 15 June 1990 | Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan, Italy | Template:Fb | 2–0 | 5–1 | 1990 FIFA World Cup |
| 7 | 24 June 1990 | Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan, Italy | Template:Fb | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1990 FIFA World Cup |
| Goals scored for Germany | ||||||
| 8 | 10 October 1990 | Råsunda Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden | Template:Fb | 1–0 | 3–1 | Friendly |
| 9 | 31 October 1990 | Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg, Luxembourg | Template:Fb | 1–0 | 3–2 | UEFA Euro 1992 qualifying |
| 10 | 18 June 1992 | Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden | Template:Fb | 1–2 | 1–3 | UEFA Euro 1992 |
| 11 | 20 December 1992 | Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay | Template:Fb | 4–0 | 4–1 | Friendly |
| 12 | 14 April 1993 | Ruhrstadion, Bochum, Germany | Template:Fb | 3–1 | 6–1 | Friendly |
| 13 | 5–1 | |||||
| 14 | 10 June 1993 | Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, Washington, D.C., U.S. | Template:Fb | 1–3 | 3–3 | U.S. Cup |
| 15 | 3–3 | |||||
| 16 | 13 June 1993 | Soldier Field, Chicago, U.S. | Template:Fb | 1–0 | 4–3 | U.S. Cup |
| 17 | 19 June 1993 | Silverdome, Pontiac, U.S. | Template:Fb | 2–1 | 2–1 | U.S. Cup |
| 18 | 23 March 1994 | Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion, Stuttgart, Germany | Template:Fb | 1–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 19 | 2–1 | |||||
| 20 | 2 June 1994 | Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria | Template:Fb | 3–0 | 5–1 | Friendly |
| 21 | 17 June 1994 | Soldier Field, Chicago, U.S. | Template:Fb | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1994 FIFA World Cup |
| 22 | 21 June 1994 | Soldier Field, Chicago, U.S. | Template:Fb | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1994 FIFA World Cup |
| 23 | 27 June 1994 | Cotton Bowl, Dallas, U.S. | Template:Fb | 1–0 | 3–2 | 1994 FIFA World Cup |
| 24 | 3–0 | |||||
| 25 | 2 July 1994 | Soldier Field, Chicago, U.S. | Template:Fb | 2–1 | 3–2 | 1994 FIFA World Cup |
| 26 | 16 November 1994 | Qemal Stafa, Tirana, Albania | Template:Fb | 1–0 | 2–1 | UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying |
| 27 | 14 December 1994 | Stadionul Republican, Chişinău, Moldova | Template:Fb | 2–0 | 3–0 | UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying |
| 28 | 18 December 1994 | Fritz-Walter-Stadion, Kaiserslautern, Germany | Template:Fb | 2–0 | 2–1 | UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying |
| 29 | 29 March 1995 | Boris Paichadze Stadium, Tbilisi, Georgia | Template:Fb | 1–0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying |
| 30 | 2–0 | |||||
| 31 | 7 June 1995 | Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria | Template:Fb | 1–0 | 2–3 | UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying |
| 32 | 11 October 1995 | Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff, Wales | Template:Fb | 2–1 | 2–1 | UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying |
| 33 | 15 November 1995 | Olympic Stadium, Berlin, Germany | Template:Fb | 1–1 | 3–1 | UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying |
| 34 | 3–1 | |||||
| 35 | 24 April 1996 | Feijenoord Stadion, Rotterdam, Netherlands | Template:Fb | 1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 36 | 4 June 1996 | Carl-Benz-Stadion, Mannheim, Germany | Template:Fb | 8–1 | 9–1 | Friendly |
| 37 | 16 June 1996 | Old Trafford, Manchester, England | Template:Fb | 2–0 | 3–0 | UEFA Euro 1996 |
| 38 | 3–0 | |||||
| 39 | 23 June 1996 | Old Trafford, Manchester, England | Template:Fb | 1–0 | 2–1 | UEFA Euro 1996 |
| 40 | 4 September 1996 | Ernest Pohl Stadium, Zabrze, Poland | Template:Fb | 2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 41 | 9 October 1996 | Hrazdan Stadium, Yerevan, Armenia | Template:Fb | 2–0 | 5–1 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifying |
| 42 | 10 September 1997 | Westfalenstadion, Dortmund, Germany | Template:Fb | 1–0 | 4–0 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifying |
| 43 | 2–0 | |||||
| 44 | 5 June 1998 | Carl-Benz-Stadion, Mannheim, Germany | Template:Fb | 2–0 | 7–0 | Friendly |
| 45 | 15 June 1998 | Parc des Princes, Paris, France | Template:Fb | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1998 FIFA World Cup |
| 46 | 25 June 1998 | Stade de la Mosson, Montpellier, France | Template:Fb | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1998 FIFA World Cup |
| 47 | 29 June 1998 | Stade de la Mosson, Montpellier, France | Template:Fb | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1998 FIFA World Cup |
Managerial
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Tooltip | Template:Tooltip | Template:Tooltip | Template:Tooltip | Template:Tooltip | Template:Tooltip | Template:Tooltip | Template:Tooltip | Template:Tooltip | |||
| Germany | 26 July 2004<ref name="Klinsmann wird neuer DFB-Teamchef"/> | 11 July 2006<ref name="Klinsmann quits as Germany coach"/> | <ref name="Ger 2004">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Ger 2005">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Ger 2006">Template:Cite web</ref> | ||||||||
| Bayern Munich | 1 July 2008<ref name="Bayern München - Trainerhistorie"/> | 27 April 2009<ref name="Bayern München - Trainerhistorie"/> | <ref name="2008–09 season"/><ref name="Bayern München - Trainerhistorie"/> | ||||||||
| United States | 29 July 2011<ref name="Klinsmann trainiert das US-Team"/> | 21 November 2016 | <ref name="USA 2011">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="USA 2012">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="USA 2013">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="USA 2014">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="USA 2015">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="USA 2016">Template:Cite web</ref> | ||||||||
| Hertha BSC | 27 November 2019 | 11 February 2020 | |||||||||
| South Korea | 27 February 2023 | 16 February 2024 | |||||||||
| Total | — | ||||||||||
Honours
Player
VfB Stuttgart
Inter Milan<ref name="fussballdaten.de">Template:Cite web</ref>
Bayern Munich<ref name="fussballdaten.de" />
- Bundesliga: 1996–97
- UEFA Cup: 1995–96
West Germany and Germany<ref name="Soccerway">Template:Cite web</ref>
- FIFA World Cup: 1990
- UEFA European Championship: 1996; runner-up: 1992
- Summer Olympic Games: 1988 Bronze medal
Individual
- Goal of the Year (Germany): 1987<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Bundesliga top scorer: 1987–88<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 1987–88<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Footballer of the Year (Germany): 1988,<ref name="Fußballer_des_Jahres">Template:Cite web</ref> 1994<ref name="Fußballer_des_Jahres" />
- FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1990
- Premier League Player of the Month: August 1994<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Tottenham Hotspur Club Player of the Year: 1994
- FWA Footballer of the Year: 1994–95
- PFA Team of the Year: 1994–95 Premier League
- ESM Team of the Year: 1994–95
- IFFHS World's Top Goal Scorer: 1995<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Ballon d'Or runner-up: 1995
- FIFA World Player of the Year bronze award: 1995<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- UEFA Cup top scorer: 1995–96<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- FIFA XI: 1996, 1999<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- FIFA 100
- UEFA Jubilee Poll (2004): #64<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Manager
Germany<ref name="fussballdaten.de" />
- FIFA World Cup third place: 2006
- FIFA Confederations Cup third place: 2005
United States
- CONCACAF Gold Cup: 2013
- CONCACAF Cup runner-up: 2015
Individual
- German Football Manager of the Year: 2006<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- CONCACAF Coach of the Year: 2013<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Literature
- Dietrich Schulze-Marmeling: Strategen des Spiels – Die legendären Fußballtrainer, Verlag Die Werkstatt, Göttingen 2005, Template:ISBN, S. 332ff.
- Jens Mende: Jürgen Klinsmann – Wie wir Weltmeister werden, Südwest-Verlag, München 2006, Template:ISBN.
- Michael Horeni: Klinsmann. Stürmer Trainer Weltmeister. Scherz, Frankfurt/Main 2005, Template:ISBN.
See also
References
External links
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