Was Jürgen Klinsmann Rubbish All Along?

After losing 1-0 at home to Schalke on Saturday, Bayern Munich have told Jürgen Klinsmann to clean out his desk, pick up his inline skates and go back to California.

Might seem a little harsh with just five games to go, especially with Bayern just three points off the top of the Bundesliga. But Bayern are arguably in more danger of missing out on Champions League qualification (Stuttgart and Hamburg are both level with Bayern on 54 points) than of leapfrogging Hertha or Wolfsburg. Old pro Jupp Heynckes has been brought in to make sure the former scenario doesn’t happen.

Klinsmann’s struggles this season (where a seriously talented squad has consistently underperformed) suggest something many have suspected all along: Germany’s 2006 success was more down to the good will and good luck that comes with hosting a World Cup than any managerial magic from JK.

If you remember, Germany were pretty dreadful for the two years leading up to World Cup 2006, including that infamous 4-1 defeat to Italy. And Klinsmann (who was living 6,000ish miles away on the west coast of the United States) got most of the blame.

Going into June 2006, the only thing lower than Klinsmann’s reputation was German fans World Cup expectations. Turned out Germany were magnificent. Playing some attractive, exciting, attacking football and going all the way to the semi-finals. But were we all a bit quick to credit Klinsmann as the mastermind behind that revolution, and ignore all the bad build-up? Isn’t it possible that being the host nation was what motivated that Germany team to perform above and beyond, and JK just happened to be there?

The World Cup is the biggest thing in football, no arguments. But success and failure at the World Cup can be a somewhat random and inexplicable affair where reputations can be made and lost in just a few games. Klinsmann’s managerial record is now three years long (two with Die Mannschaft and one with Bayern). And in those three years, there’s still just that one short summer of success.

I hope that’s not how Klinsmann’s managerial tombstone will read. I love the man’s enthusiasm for the game and his attempts to play attacking football. In some ways he’s like the German version of Kevin Keegan. Will be interesting to see where he turns up next – maybe somewhere smaller that will give him more time? Maybe somewhere in MLS? Either way, there’s still plenty of time for Klinsmann to redeem his reputation, should he wish to do so.

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Category: World Football