Jürgen Klinsmann facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jürgen Klinsmann

Klinsmann managing South Korea in 2024
Personal information
Date of birth	(1964-07-30) 30 July 1964 (age 60)
Place of birth	Göppingen, West Germany
Height	1.81 m
Playing position	Striker
Youth career
1972–1974	TB Gingen
1974–1978	SC Geislingen
1978–1981	Stuttgarter Kickers
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1981–1984	Stuttgarter Kickers	61	(22)
1984–1989	VfB Stuttgart	156	(79)
1989–1992	Inter Milan	95	(34)
1992–1994	Monaco	65	(29)
1994–1995	Tottenham Hotspur	41	(20)
1995–1997	Bayern Munich	65	(31)
1997–1998	Sampdoria	8	(2)
1997–1998	→ Tottenham Hotspur (loan)	15	(9)
2003	Orange County Blue Star	8	(5)
Total		514	(231)
National team
1980–1981	West Germany U16	3	(0)
1984–1985	West Germany U21	8	(3)
1987–1988	West Germany Olympic	14	(8)
1987–1998	West Germany / Germany	108	(47)
Teams managed
2004–2006	Germany
2008–2009	Bayern Munich
2011–2016	United States
2019–2020	Hertha BSC
2023–2024	South Korea
Honours Men's football Representing  Germany FIFA World Cup Winner 1990 Italy UEFA European Championship Winner 1996 England Runner-up 1992 Sweden Olympic Games Third 1988 Seoul Team Representing  Germany (as manager) FIFA World Cup Third 2006 Germany FIFA Confederations Cup Third 2005 Germany Representing  United States (as manager) CONCACAF Gold Cup Winner 2013 United States
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Jürgen Klinsmann (born 30 July 1964) is a famous German football manager and former player. He played as a striker for many top clubs in Europe. These included VfB Stuttgart, Inter Milan, Monaco, Tottenham Hotspur, and Bayern Munich.

As a player, he helped West Germany win the 1990 FIFA World Cup. He also won the UEFA Euro 1996 with the unified German team. After retiring as a player, Klinsmann became a coach. He led the German national team to a third-place finish at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He also coached Bayern Munich and the United States national team.

Klinsmann was one of Germany's best strikers in the 1990s. He scored goals in all six major international tournaments he played in for Germany. In 1995, he was ranked third for the FIFA World Player of the Year award. In 2004, he was named in the FIFA 100 list of the "125 Greatest Living Footballers." In 2016, he became only the fifth player to be named an honorary captain of Germany.

Jürgen Klinsmann: Football Legend

Early Life and Youth Football

Jürgen Klinsmann was born in Göppingen, Germany. He is one of four sons. His family owned a bakery. When he was eight, he started playing football for a local club called TB Gingen. Just six months later, he scored an amazing 16 goals in one game!

At age ten, he moved to another club, SC Geislingen. When he was 14, his family moved to Stuttgart. He then signed a contract with Stuttgarter Kickers. This is where he would become a professional player two years later. His parents wanted him to finish his bakery apprenticeship first. He completed it in 1982.

Playing Career Highlights

Starting Professional: Stuttgarter Kickers and VfB Stuttgart

Klinsmann began his professional career in 1982. He played for Stuttgarter Kickers in the second division. By the 1983–84 season, he was a regular player. He scored 19 goals for the club that season. His coaches said he trained very hard to improve his speed.

In 1984, Klinsmann moved to VfB Stuttgart, a top-division club. In his first season, he scored 15 goals. He was the team's top scorer. In the 1987–88 season, he scored 19 goals. This made him the top goalscorer in the Bundesliga (Germany's top league). He even scored a famous overhead kick goal against Bayern Munich.

In 1988, Klinsmann was named German Footballer of the Year. He also helped Stuttgart reach the 1988–89 UEFA Cup final. After this, he moved to Inter Milan in Italy. He joined two other German stars, Lothar Matthäus and Andreas Brehme.

Adventures in Italy and France

At Inter Milan, Klinsmann quickly became popular. He learned Italian and showed respect for the fans. In his first season, he scored 13 goals. The next year, he won the 1990–91 UEFA Cup with Inter. This was a big European trophy.

After his time in Italy, Klinsmann moved to Monaco in France in 1992. He helped Monaco finish second in the league in his first season. They even reached the semi-finals of the 1993–94 UEFA Champions League.

Moving to England: Tottenham Hotspur

Klinsmann (centre) playing for VfB Stuttgart in 1989.

In 1994, Klinsmann joined Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League in England. At first, some fans and media were unsure about him. But on his first game, he scored a winning goal. He celebrated by playfully diving to the ground. This made him instantly popular.

He became very well-liked in England. People loved his humor and his fighting spirit on the field. Over 150,000 of his jerseys were sold! He is now a legend at Tottenham. He even has a wax figure at Madame Tussauds. In the 1994–95 season, he scored 21 league goals for Spurs.

Winning Trophies with Bayern Munich

After Tottenham, Klinsmann had a great time at Bayern Munich. He was their top goalscorer for two seasons. In 1996, he won the 1995–96 UEFA Cup with Bayern. He set a new record by scoring 15 goals in that competition. A year later, he also won the German league title.

He then briefly played for Sampdoria in Italy. But he soon returned to Tottenham Hotspur on loan. His goals helped save Tottenham from being relegated (moving down to a lower league) in the 1997–98 season. He scored four goals in one game against Wimbledon! He played his last high-level club match in 1998.

In 2003, after moving to the United States, Klinsmann played a few games for an amateur team called Orange County Blue Star.

International Success with Germany

On 12 December 1987, Klinsmann played his first game for the West German national team. He was a key player when West Germany won the 1990 FIFA World Cup. In the knockout stages, he played very well, even when a teammate was sent off. Germany went on to win the final against Argentina 1–0.

Klinsmann also helped the unified German team win the UEFA Euro 1996. He scored in all six major international tournaments he played in for Germany. This shows how consistent and important he was for his country.

Coaching Days

Leading Germany to World Cup Third Place

On 26 July 2004, Klinsmann became the head coach of the German national team. He wanted to make big changes to the team's management and bring in younger players. Before the 2006 FIFA World Cup, some fans and media criticized him because of poor results. They also didn't like that he lived in the U.S. and commuted to Germany.

Klinsmann as manager of Germany in 2005.

However, Germany's performance at the 2006 World Cup silenced his critics. The team played with great spirit and an attacking style. They won all their group games. They beat Sweden 2–0 and then Argentina on penalties in the quarter-finals. In the semi-final, they lost a close game to Italy. But they went on to beat Portugal 3–1 to finish third.

Klinsmann's success helped renew national pride in Germany. He was even given a special award, the Bundesverdienstkreuz. Despite the praise, Klinsmann decided not to renew his contract after the World Cup. He said he wanted to spend more time with his family.

Coaching Bayern Munich and the United States

In 2008, Klinsmann became the coach of Bayern Munich. He tried to modernize the club's training. However, the team started the season poorly. Bayern reached the Champions League quarter-finals but lost badly to Barcelona. Klinsmann was sacked in April 2009.

Klinsmann as manager of Bayern Munich in 2009.

In 2011, Klinsmann became the head coach of the United States national team. He led the U.S. to some historic wins. In 2012, they beat Italy for the first time ever. They also won against Mexico in their home stadium, the Estadio Azteca, for the first time.

Klinsmann as manager of the United States in 2013.

In 2013, Klinsmann coached the U.S. team to win the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup. This was their fifth time winning this regional tournament. He also helped the U.S. qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

2014 World Cup and Beyond

Klinsmann at a press conference in 2014.

For the 2014 World Cup, Klinsmann made some surprising player choices. He included several players who had grown up and trained in Germany. He also famously left out Landon Donovan, a very popular U.S. player.

The U.S. was in a tough group at the World Cup. They beat Ghana 2–1 and drew 2–2 with Portugal. They lost to Germany 1–0 but still made it to the knockout stage. In the Round of 16, they faced Belgium. The U.S. goalkeeper, Tim Howard, made many amazing saves. The game went to extra time, where Belgium scored two goals. The U.S. scored one back but was eliminated.

Klinsmann continued to coach the U.S. team. They had some good friendly wins, including against the Netherlands and Germany. However, they had a poor performance in the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup. In 2016, after two losses in World Cup qualifiers, Klinsmann was fired. The U.S. team eventually failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.

Recent Coaching Roles

In November 2019, Klinsmann became the manager of Hertha BSC in Germany. However, he stepped down after only ten weeks. He said he lacked the trust of the club.

In February 2023, Klinsmann was announced as the head coach of South Korea. He faced criticism for working from outside South Korea and for his team's performance. After South Korea lost in the semi-finals of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, Klinsmann's contract was ended in February 2024.

Charity Work and Social Engagements

Klinsmann and Sir Bobby Charlton in Los Angeles in 1999.

Jürgen Klinsmann is also known for his charity work. In 1995, he helped start the children's charity foundation Agapedia. This name means "Love for Children" in Greek.

In 1997, as captain of the German national team, Klinsmann visited the Holocaust memorial place Yad Vashem in Israel. This visit was shown on TV around the world. He also supports educating young people about the Holocaust. In 1999, he donated over $1 million from his farewell football match to children's charities.

Personal Life

Klinsmann Bakery in Botnang, Stuttgart.

Jürgen Klinsmann's family runs a bakery in Stuttgart, Germany. Because of this, he is sometimes called the "baker's son from Botnang." He actually completed an apprenticeship as a baker himself.

He is married to Debbie Chin, a former American model. They got married in 1995. Klinsmann lives in Huntington Beach, California, in the United States. He and his wife have two children. His son, Jonathan, is a goalkeeper and has played for the U.S. youth national team.

Besides German, Klinsmann can speak English, Italian, and French. He is also a certified commercial helicopter pilot. He has become a U.S. citizen. Klinsmann has also worked as a football expert for TV channels like ESPN and BBC Sport.

Honours

Player

Inter Milan

• UEFA Cup: 1990–91

Bayern Munich

• Bundesliga: 1996–97
• UEFA Cup: 1995–96

West Germany and Germany

• FIFA World Cup: 1990
• UEFA European Championship: 1996; runner-up: 1992
• Summer Olympic Games: 1988 Bronze medal

Individual

• Goal of the Year (Germany): 1987
• Bundesliga top scorer: 1987–88
• Footballer of the Year (Germany): 1988, 1994
• FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1990
• Premier League Player of the Month: August 1994
• FWA Footballer of the Year: 1994–95
• ESM Team of the Year: 1994–95
• IFFHS World's Top Goal Scorer: 1995
• Ballon d'Or runner-up: 1995
• FIFA World Player of the Year bronze award: 1995
• UEFA Cup top scorer: 1995–96
• FIFA 100
• UEFA Jubilee Poll (2004): #64

Manager

Germany

• FIFA World Cup third place: 2006
• FIFA Confederations Cup third place: 2005

United States

• CONCACAF Gold Cup: 2013

Individual

• German Football Manager of the Year: 2006
• CONCACAF Coach of the Year: 2013