The forgotten legends of Football - Jurgen Klinsmann

Jurgen Klinsmann at VFB Stuttgart

“I think when there’s enough will and aggression, there’s no shortage of talent either.”- Jurgen Klinsmann

There are broadly three kinds of successful players in football. The first and the most common types are those who earn legendary status for their clubs. The second and pretty rare types are those who earn legendary status while playing for their country. The rarest are those who earn legendary status by competing brilliantly at club level, as well as the international level. Jurgen Klinsmann is one of the rare few.

Not many young fans seem to be able to place the name. Other German legends like Beckenbauer, Matthaus, Gerd Mueller etc. have more space in the mind of fans. Klinsmann was not a one club man. In fact, he played in three of the most competitive leagues at the time. The amazing fact was that he excelled in each of them. A striker by trade, Klinsmann had a beautiful all-round game. He could shoot with either foot and even dropped deep a lot to play the number 10 role when required.

He started his career at Stuttgarter Kickers, but really made a name for himself when he moved to VfB Stuttgart. In 1988, he led VfB to the UEFA cup finals and was named the German footballer of the year. He achieved world wide prominence for his flick and overhead kick against Bayern Munich.

In 1989, he joined Inter Milan which was considered to be one of the strongest teams in Europe. After scoring 13 goals in the league, he received a call-up for the German squad for the 1990 World Cup. The match that best defined him came during this tournament. During the quarterfinal between the Dutch and the Germans, Rudi Voeller was sent off in the 22nd minute and most people assumed that Germany were going to crash out. Forced to play as a lone striker, Klinsmann delivered what is considered by many as the finest performance ever delivered by a forward. His off-the-ball running kept the Dutch defense occupied and he even hit the goal that took Germany through to the semi-finals. As the coach Franz Beckenbauer said, “In the last decade, not a single forward of a DFB team has offered such a brilliant, almost perfect performance.”

After his time at Inter Milan, Klinsmann moved to Ligue 1 and led his team AS Monaco to the semifinals of the Champions League. Always a leader on the pitch, Klinsmann had the reputation of being a gentleman off the field and a beast on it. To supplement his pace and finishing skills, he also was a brilliant passer of the ball and in his time was reputed as the most complete striker. One thing I did notice about a lot of his goals was that many were headers, and very opportunistic ones at that, which shows his striker’s instinct. In fact, he was more like the modern-day striker who can metamorphose into a target man or play between the lines of defense and midfield.

Klinsmann at Tottenham Hotspur

Klinsmann played a major part in the development of an European fan base for English football. His high profile move to Tottenham Hotspur was believed by many to be money-motivated. Whatever the reasons, he changed the way the game was played in England. Not only was he physical enough for the league, he brought artistry to the English game, artistry that had rarely been seen after George Best. He plundered 29 goals for Spurs who were essentially a mid-table side at the time.

On the other hand, Jurgen was quickly becoming the core of the German team. His finest tournament was 1994 where he scored 5 goals despite playing only four matches. At 108 appearances, he holds the record for being the third-highest capped German player. His 47 goals are the third highest for the national team.

After his move from Tottenham, he joined Bayern Munich as a player and won the Bundesliga. Even though he was in his early thirties, Klinsmann was sharp as ever. He was top scorer in both the seasons he was at the club. He also led the Bavarians to European glory in the 1995-96 season when he scored 15 goals in 12 games to lift the UEFA cup.

His impact though was not restricted to his playing career. He is one of the rare footballers who, after achieving success on the field, succeeded as a manager too. As coach of the German team in the 2006 World Cup, he led them to the semifinals and reaffirmed Germany’s position on the international stage. Currently the coach of USA, Klinsmann has the task of developing them into a serious contender for the 2014 World Cup.

Managerial career aside though, Klinsmann in my opinion is still a legendary figure in the game. Not only did he achieve success, he achieved it in different leagues, by adjusting his playing style. As if that were not enough, he reproduced this form on the national stage too. Perhaps people don’t remember him as he never stayed at a club for long. But in doing that, Klinsmann ensured that he would not be labelled with the title of a ‘Club’ legend or a national legend. His legacy and impact is such that he should be a cherished legend of the beautiful game. But ironically, he remains one of its most forgotten ones.