On Wednesday morning Toronto FC announced the addition of Jürgen Klinsmann as a consultant to help reorganize its soccer infrastructure.
Hired to direct Toronto’s fortunes in the right direction, we won't know what Klinsmann's blueprint for success with the club will be until he lays it out clearly (which is expected to happen in the next few days). But history and past interviews indicate that Klinsmann is likely to start with a philosophical revitalization.
This should be encouraging for TFC supporters. Along with current Germany coach Joachim Löw, Klinsmann revolutionized German football to the exciting, attacking approach that was witnessed in 2006 and this past summer in South Africa, with Germany finishing third at both World Cup tournaments.
In 2004, Klinsmann joined Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Galaxy as technical advisor, which led to a wide array of changes ranging from football style to improvements at the club grounds – The Home Depot Center.
That same year Chris Hunt received a one-on-one audience with the former German international for FourFourTwo magazine, in which Klinsmann revealed much of his personal side, including a treat about his family’s bakery business in Stuttgart, and why he himself once became a baker's apprentice.
[inline_node:5300]Klinsmann was again in contention for the Los Angeles coaching job in 2007 after he had stepped down from Germany despite many pleas for him to remain. At the time the LA post was ultimately an ill-fated position that went to Dutch football legend Ruud Gullit.
In 2008 Klinsmann took over Bavarian giant Bayern Munich for his first coaching role at club level. Germany enjoyed international success under his helm, where Klinsmann silenced his critics with attractive, winning football. It earned him new admirers and he was expected to transfer that goodwill to Bayern. But there are mixed feelings about Klinsmann's stay at the club from both sides. What's clear is that the coach took Bayern to the quarterfinals of the Champions League (losing to eventual champion Barcelona), and at the time of his departure the club was three points from first place with five matches to play.
Residing in California, Klinsmann has followed U.S. soccer closely and has been linked to the coaching job of the American national team several times. Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated spoke to Klinsmann prior to South Africa about turning down the U.S. job in 2006.
After the 2010 World Cup, speculation began to mount once more about Klinsmann’s future. Talks were held between him and the United States Soccer Federation about leading the Americans into 2014. However, U.S. head coach Bob Bradley remained in place.
Prior to South Africa, Klinsmann had indicated at the conclusion of a FIFA.com interview that it was “totally up in the air as to what (he) might do next” – which we know the answer to now.
RELATED: KC Wizards' Sasha Victorine interviewed Klinsmann after World Cup 2010.
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