Considered one of Germany's premierstrikers during the 1990s, Klinsmann scored in all six major international tournaments he participated in for Germany, from theUEFA Euro 1988 to the1998 FIFA World Cup. In 1995, he came in third in theFIFA World Player of the Year award; in March 2004 he was named in theFIFA 100 list of the "125 Greatest Living Footballers".[4] In 2016, he became the fifth player to be named as honorary captain of Germany.[5][6]
Klinsmann is one of four sons of masterbaker Siegfried Klinsmann (died 2005) and his wife Martha (died 2021). At age eight, he began playing for TB Gingen, an amateur football club inGingen an der Fils. Six months later, he scored 16 goals in a single match for his new club.[7] At age ten, he moved toSC Geislingen. When he was 14 years old, his father bought a bakery inStuttgart, the state capital. After the family relocated there, Klinsmann continued to play for SC Geislingen, even after he was spotted in aWürttemberg youth selection. In 1978, aged 14, he signed a contract withStuttgarter 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.[8]
Klinsmann began his professional career in 1982 at the then-second division side Stuttgarter Kickers.[9] By1982–83, he was already a regular starter and by the end of the1983–84 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.[10]
In 1984, Klinsmann moved tofirst division rivalsVfB Stuttgart. In his first season at the club, he scored 15 goals and was the team's joint top scorer withKarl Allgöwer. Despite his goal scoring efforts, he could not prevent his new club from finishing tenth in the league. During each of the1985–86 and1986–87 seasons, he scored 16 goals and reached the1986 final of theDFB-Pokal, losing againstBayern Munich 2–5, but scoring the last goal of the match. In the1987–88 season, he scored 19 goals – including a legendaryoverhead kick against Bayern – and was the Bundesliga's top goalscorer.
In spite of the heavily defensive orientated tactics of head coachGiovanni Trapattoni, Klinsmann scored 13 goals as theNerazzurri finished third inSerie A. He became one of the most popular foreign players in Italy, mostly because he had learntItalian and earned himself the respect of the fans with his appearance and language skills.
During the next season, Klinsmann won theUEFA Cup with Inter (2–1 on aggregate againstRoma) and repeated his previous performance in the league with 14 goals; his contract was extended until 1994. A disastrous1991–92 season caused all plans to fall through. Inter never managed to gain any momentum under coachCorrado 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 theSan Siro.
AfterUEFA Euro 1992, Klinsmann moved toMonaco and catapulted the club to a second-place finish inthe league in his first season. After the bribery scandal byMarseille and their subsequent disqualification as league winners, Monaco replaced them in the1993–94 UEFA Champions League, reaching the semi-final before finally losing to eventual winnersMilan. 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.[11]
Klinsmann moved toTottenham Hotspur in thePremier League for the1994–95 season, where the fans and media were very critical of the German because of his reputation as adiver.[8] He was signed by Spurs in July 1994 from Monaco for £2 million.[12] On his debut againstSheffield Wednesday, he scored the winning header and immediately won over fans with hisgoal celebration by self-deprecatingly diving to the ground.[8][13] AGuardian journalist who had written an article called "Why I Hate Jürgen Klinsmann", wrote another two months later called "Why I Love Jürgen Klinsmann".[14] Klinsmann went on to win the 1995Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year.[15]
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.[16] He now holds legendary status at Spurs and was inducted intoMadame Tussauds Wax Museum.[17]
Klinsmann scored 21 goals in the 1994–95 season for Spurs and a total of 30 in all competitions, including a late winner againstLiverpool in the quarter-final of theFA Cup. He also found the net in the semi-final, but Spurs missed out on a place in the final by losing 4–1 toEverton.[18]
Klinsmann then had a successful spell at Bayern Munich during the1995–96 and1996–97 season. He was the club's top goalscorer during both seasons, and won the1995–96 UEFA Cup, setting a new goalscoring record of 15 goals in 12 matches during the competition (a record that stood until2011).[19] A year later, he also became German champion as he won theBundesliga.
He then briefly moved to Italy forSampdoria, but left the team in the winter and returned to Tottenham Hotspur. During his second stint at Tottenham in the1997–98 season, his goals saved the club from relegation, particularly the four goals he scored in a 6–2 win atWimbledon.[20] He played the last match of his high-level club career in 1998 on the final day of thePremier League againstSouthampton.[21]
On 12 December 1987, Klinsmann debuted for the West German senior squad in a 1–1friendly draw againstBrazil.[22] He was an important part of the West German team that won the1990 FIFA World Cup. After qualifying for the round of 16, Germany was to play theNetherlands, against whom they had lost two years earlier at UEFA Euro 1988. AfterRudi 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 newspaperSüddeutsche Zeitung wrote that "In the last decade, not a single forward of a DFB team has offered such a brilliant, almost perfect performance."[23] After further victories overCzechoslovakia (1–0) andEngland (1–1 after extra time, 4–3 on penalties), he became a world champion after beatingArgentina 1–0 inthe final. Klinsmann is remembered for being fouled by the ArgentinianPedro 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.[24] His last international tournament with Germany was the1998 FIFA World Cup, in which they were eliminated in the quarter-finals by surprising debutantsCroatia.
On 26 July 2004, Klinsmann returned to Germany as the new head coach of the national team,[25] 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 strikerOliver Bierhoff on board helped diffusepublic 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 atEuro 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 toItaly. A particular subject of criticism was that Klinsmann commuted to Germany from the U.S., which was the target of a campaign by thetabloidBild. Klinsmann previously eliminated some privilegesBild traditionally had with the national team, such as receiving the team lineup the day before a match and24/7 exclusive access to the team. His largelyoffensive tactics have irritated some, who complained he ignoreddefensive football. He announced a squad of young players for the 2006 World Cup, basing his selection policy on performance, not reputation.
Klinsmann as manager of Germany in 2005
During the2005 FIFA Confederations Cup, he regularly rotated his goalkeepers regardless of their performances, which drew the ire of Bayern Munich'sOliver Kahn. On 7 April 2006, Klinsmann finally decided to relegate Kahn to the bench and designatedArsenal'sJens Lehmann as his first choice goalkeeper. This choice followed Lehmann's performances in the2005–06 UEFA Champions League in which his Arsenal team bowed out inthe final againstBarcelona.
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 againstCosta Rica,Poland andEcuador in thegroup stage, earning Germany first place in Group A. The first match of the knockout stage was a 2–0 victory overSweden, 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.[26]
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 fromFabio Grosso andAlessandro Del Piero.[27] After the match, Klinsmann praised the performance of his young team. They beatPortugal 3–1 in the third place play-off, where he played Kahn instead of Jens Lehmann.[28] The victory triggered a massive parade inBerlin 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 renewednational pride and restored Germany's reputation as a top soccer nation. Due to his success coaching the national team, Klinsmann was awarded theBundesverdienstkreuz.
Despite the highly acclaimed performance at the World Cup and the praise earned, Klinsmann declined to renew his contract, informing theGerman 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.[29][30] 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."[31]
In January 2008, it was announced that Klinsmann would become Bayern Munich coach in July, succeedingOttmar Hitzfeld.[32] 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.[33] Notably, he installedBuddha statues in the training ground, which were criticised in the media and quickly removed.[34]
Bayern started the season poorly and Klinsmann came under pressure as early as September, after a 5-2 home loss toWerder Bremen.[35] After a 3-3 draw withVfL Bochum in October, Bayern were in 11th place in theBundesliga and some fans chanted that Klinsmann should be sacked.[36]
Bayern reached the quarter-final of theChampions League, after beatingSporting CP 12-1 on aggregate in the first knockout round, a Champions League record.[37] However, they would lose heavily to eventual winnersFC 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."[38] Earlier that week, Bayern had lost 5-1 toFelix Magath'sVfL Wolfsburg in a crucial league match.[39]
Klinsmann was sacked on 27 April 2009[40] with five matches remaining.[41] His final match was a 1–0 loss toSchalke 04.[42] Bayern were in third-place at the time of the sacking.[43] Klinsmann finished with a record of 25 wins, nine draws, and 10 losses in all competitions.[44]
Following Klinsmann's time with Bayern, Bayern team captainPhillip 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.[45] 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.[34][46]
In November 2010, Klinsmann was hired as a technical consultant forMajor League Soccer (MLS) clubToronto FC to advise on an overhaul of the club's coaching and playing personnel, leading the club to hireAron Winter as head coach andPaul Mariner as technical director the following year.[47] Both Winter and Mariner would later be fired by the club during a last place finish in the 2012 season.
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 overSlovenia. 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.[50] 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 theEstadio 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 the2014 FIFA World Cup, beginning with a 2–1 loss atHonduras 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 fifthCONCACAF Gold Cup title, defeatingPanama 1–0 inthe final.[51] 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 theUnited States Soccer Federation (USSF), lasting until 2018.[52]
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 the23-men squad in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.[53][54][55] His selection particularly received criticism when he cut all-time leading U.S. scorerLandon Donovan from the final roster for the 2014 World Cup following the team's preliminary training camp.[56] Klinsmann described it as "the most difficult decision of [his] coaching career" but that he sees other players "slightly ahead of [Donovan]".[57] Klinsmann faced further controversy after his son Jonathan posted a comment onTwitter ridiculing Donovan,[58] causing some to speculate that the decision was influenced by personal animosity between Klinsmann and Donovan.[59]
On 16 June, Klinsmann guided the United States to a 2–1 win overGhana in their first match of the 2014 World Cup, behind an early strike from captainClint Dempsey and a dramatic 86th-minute header from substituteJohn 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, butJermaine 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 whereCristiano Ronaldo sent a cross that was headed past U.S. goalkeeperTim Howard bySilvestre Varela.[60] 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.[61]
The U.S. drewBelgium in theround of 16. After spending much of the match defending against Belgium's potent attack, with goalkeeperTim 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 substituteJulian Green volleyed in a lobbed through ball fromMichael Bradley, but were unable to score a second and were eliminated.[62]
Klinsmann led the U.S. to a 1–0 win overCzech Republic to open the new2018 World Cup cycle on 3 September, its first win over the Czechs.[63] On 5 June 2015, Klinsmann guided the U.S. to a dramatic 4–3 win over theNetherlands in a friendly inAmsterdam and another friendly victory over Germany five days later.[64]
The U.S. under Klinsmann finished fourth in the2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup following losses toJamaica in the semi-finals andPanama 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 containingGuatemala,Trinidad and Tobago, andSt. 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 byLA Galaxy managerBruce Arena, who had previously coached the team from 1998 to 2006. Ultimately, the U.S. failed to qualify for the2018 FIFA World Cup.
On 27 November 2019, Klinsmann became the new manager ofHertha BSC, replacingAnte Čović.[65]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.[66] Despite stating his intention of remaining part of the club's supervisory board, he was ultimately barred from doing so as Hertha's investorLars Windhorst publicly criticized his behavior, calling the manner of his departure "unacceptable".[67]
Klinsmann at the 2024 Asian Nations Cup withHwang Hee-chan
On 27 February 2023, Klinsmann was named head coach ofSouth Korea, replacingPaulo Bento[68] on a contract through the conclusion of the2026 FIFA World Cup.[69] 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 theK League 1 and questionable squad selections. Following the team's poor performances in friendly matches, criticism of Klinsmann ramped up.[70] This grew increasingly problematic during the2023 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 againstSaudi Arabia. During this match, Klinsmann's tactics and player selections were highly criticised.[71][72] In the end, South Korea lost toJordan, 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.[73][74][75] On 16 February, theKorea Football Association fired Klinsmann, citing "failure to demonstrate leadership" as one of the reasons.[76]
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 theHolocaust memorial placeYad Vashem in Israel alongside his coachBerti Vogts. This visit was televised around the globe and drew worldwide attention.[77] 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.[78] 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 inStuttgart'sGottlieb-Daimler-Stadion. Famous personalities such asBryan Adams,Boris Becker and many others contributed to this event.[79]
Klinsmann was born inGöppingen.[80][81] His family moved to Stuttgart when he was a teenager.[81] 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, ajourneyman baker, having served an apprenticeship.[8]
He is married to Debbie Chin (Chinese:德碧;pinyin:Dé Bì),[82] an American former model of Chinese descent, having proposed to her back in 1995; they wed later that year in Milan.[citation needed]
On 25 November 2022, followingIran's 2–0 victory overWales in the2022 FIFA World Cup, Klinsmann received backlash after his controversial comments made onBBC. Klinsmann claimed that the reason Iran won was because they used dirty tactics to manipulate Guatemalan refereeMario Escobar and that it was a part of Iranian football culture to play dirty. He then went on to claim that head coachCarlos 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."[90] 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.[91]
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