Miroslav Klose facts for kids
Klose in 2016
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Miroslav Josef Klose | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Birth name | Mirosław Marian Klose | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 9 June 1978 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Opole, Poland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Striker | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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1. FC Nürnberg (manager) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1987–1998 | SG Blaubach-Diedelkopf | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–1999 | FC 08 Homburg II | 15 | (10) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–1999 | FC 08 Homburg | 18 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2001 | 1. FC Kaiserslautern II | 50 | (26) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2004 | 1. FC Kaiserslautern | 120 | (44) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2007 | Werder Bremen | 89 | (53) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2011 | Bayern Munich | 98 | (24) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2016 | Lazio | 139 | (54) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 529 | (212) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2014 | Germany | 137 | (71) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Rheindorf Altach | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | 1. FC Nürnberg | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Miroslav Klose is a famous German football manager and former player. He was a fantastic striker known for scoring lots of goals. Klose is the all-time top scorer for the German national team. He also holds the amazing record for the most goals ever scored in the FIFA World Cup tournaments, with 16 goals! He achieved this over four World Cups between 2002 and 2014.
Klose started his career at FC 08 Homburg. He then played in Germany's top league, the Bundesliga, for 1. FC Kaiserslautern and SV Werder Bremen. At Werder Bremen, he became one of the best scorers in the league. He was even named the German Footballer of the Year in 2006. Later, he moved to FC Bayern Munich, where he won two league titles. In 2011, Klose joined the Italian club S.S. Lazio. He won the 2012–13 Coppa Italia there before ending his playing career in 2016.
He was a key part of the German team that won the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Before that, he helped Germany finish second in 2002 and third in both 2006 and 2010. He also helped Germany reach the final of UEFA Euro 2008. Klose won the World Cup Golden Boot in 2006 for scoring five goals. He retired from the national team in August 2014, right after Germany's big World Cup win.
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
Miroslav Klose was born in Opole, Poland, on June 9, 1978. Both of his parents were professional athletes. His father, Josef Klose, was a footballer, and his mother, Barbara Jeż, played handball for Poland.
In 1986, when Miroslav was eight, his family moved to Kusel, West Germany. He only knew two German words at first! Klose learned and loved football with his local club, SG Blaubach-Diedelkopf. Before becoming a full-time footballer, he also trained as a carpenter.
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Kaiserslautern
Klose began his professional football journey at age 20 with FC Homburg's reserve team in 1998. A year later, he joined 1. FC Kaiserslautern. He played for their second team before making his first appearance in the Bundesliga in April 2000. In the 2001–02 season, he scored 16 goals, showing his talent.
Success with Werder Bremen
In March 2004, Klose signed with SV Werder Bremen. He quickly became a top scorer for them. In his first league game, he came on as a substitute. He scored his first goal for Bremen in August 2004.
Klose confirmed in June 2007 that he would leave Werder Bremen. He wanted to join FC Bayern Munich.
Winning Titles at Bayern Munich
Klose joined Bayern Munich on June 26, 2007, signing a four-year contract. He won his first major club trophies with Bayern. They won the Bundesliga league title and the DFB-Pokal cup in the 2007–08 season. In 2010, he also won the 2010 DFL-Supercup, scoring a goal in that match.
Klose left Bayern Munich in June 2011 when his contract ended.
Five Years at Lazio
On June 9, 2011, Klose signed a three-year contract with the Italian club S.S. Lazio. He scored his first goal for Lazio in a 2011–12 UEFA Europa League play-off match. Lazio won that game 6–0. In his first Serie A game, he scored a goal in a 2–2 draw against A.C. Milan.
In October 2011, Klose scored a winning goal in the last minute against A.S. Roma. This was a big win for Lazio in the "Rome derby." During this time, some Lazio fans held up a sign that said "Klose mit uns." This was meant as praise, but the sign used symbols linked to a very bad historical group. Klose clearly said he did not approve of the sign, stating that "politics should stay out of the stadium."
In December 2011, Klose scored two goals and helped with another in a 3–2 win against U.S. Lecce.
2012–13 Season Success
In September 2012, Klose scored two goals in Lazio's 3–0 win against U.S. Città di Palermo. Later that month, he accidentally scored a goal with his hand against S.S.C. Napoli. The referee didn't see it, but Klose told the referee what happened. The goal was then disallowed, and the referee shook his hand for his honesty.
On May 5, 2013, Klose scored an amazing five goals in one game against Bologna F.C. 1909. This was the first time a player had scored five goals in a Serie A game since the 1984–85 season.
On May 26, Klose won the Coppa Italia with Lazio. They beat their city rivals Roma 1–0 in the final. This was a historic win for Lazio.
Later Seasons at Lazio
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Klose continued to be an important player for Lazio in the following seasons. He scored goals and provided assists for his teammates. In the 2014–15 season, he scored 13 goals and made 7 assists in Serie A. He also scored 3 goals and made 2 assists in the Coppa Italia.
On May 15, 2016, Klose scored his final goal for Lazio from a penalty kick. This was his last game for the club. He ended his Lazio career with 64 goals, making him one of the club's highest non-Italian goalscorers ever.
International Career for Germany
Klose's great goal-scoring for Kaiserslautern quickly caught the attention of the German national team. He chose to play for Germany, even though he also had Polish roots. He later said it was a tough choice, but he was happy with his decision because of the World Cup medals he won with Germany.
2002 World Cup Debut
Klose made his international debut for Germany on March 24, 2001. He came on as a substitute and scored the winning goal against Albania. Four days later, he scored another crucial goal against Greece. Before the 2002 World Cup, he scored two hat-tricks in friendly matches, securing his spot in Germany's starting lineup.
At the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea and Japan, Klose became famous for his five goals, all scored with his head! He was the second-highest goalscorer in the tournament. He also became the first player to score five headers in a World Cup. He celebrated his goals with his famous front-flip, earning him the nickname "Salto-Klose." His goals included three against Saudi Arabia and one each against Ireland and Cameroon.
Euro 2004 and 2006 World Cup
Klose played in UEFA Euro 2004, but he was not fully fit due to a knee injury. He didn't score, and Germany was eliminated early.
In the opening match of the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, Klose scored two goals against Costa Rica. He added two more goals against Ecuador, helping Germany win their group.
Klose scored an important goal against Argentina in the quarter-finals, which Germany won after a penalty shootout. With five goals in total, he was the top scorer of the tournament and won the Golden Boot award.
Euro 2008 and 2010 World Cup
At UEFA Euro 2008, Klose helped Germany reach the final. He scored goals in the quarter-final against Portugal and the semi-final against Turkey. Germany lost the final to Spain.
Klose was part of Germany's squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He scored against Australia in their first group match. He was sent off in the game against Serbia and missed the next match. In the round of 16, he scored his 12th World Cup goal against England, equaling Pelé's record. This was also his 50th international goal.
Klose played his 100th international game in the quarter-final against Argentina. He scored two goals in that match, helping Germany win 4–0. This brought him level with Gerd Müller's record for Germany's all-time World Cup goals.
Euro 2012 and Final World Cup
During the Euro 2012 qualifiers, Klose scored in every game he played. He scored nine goals in just six games, making him one of Europe's best strikers during that time. At the tournament, he scored Germany's third goal in a 4–2 win against Greece in the quarter-finals.
Klose said the 2014 FIFA World Cup would be his last for Germany. On June 6, 2014, he scored his 69th international goal against Armenia. This broke Gerd Müller's record and made him Germany's all-time leading goalscorer.
At the 2014 World Cup, Klose scored his record-equalling 15th World Cup goal against Ghana. This tied him with Brazil's Ronaldo. With this goal, Klose became the third player in history to score in four different World Cups. On July 8, in the semi-finals against hosts Brazil, Klose scored his record 16th World Cup goal. This made him the all-time top scorer in World Cup history, passing Ronaldo's record. Germany won that game 7–1. Klose also became the first player to appear in four consecutive World Cup semi-finals.
Klose started in the World Cup final against Argentina. Germany won 1–0, earning their fourth World Cup title. Klose announced his retirement from international football one month after this historic win.
Managerial Career
Coaching the German National Team
On November 1, 2016, Klose joined the coaching staff of the German national team. He said he was happy to return to the German Football Association (DFB) after his successful playing career.
Youth and Assistant Coaching
In May 2018, Bayern Munich named Klose as the coach for their U-17 (under 17) team. He signed a two-year contract. In May 2020, Klose became the first-team assistant manager under Hansi Flick. He left Bayern Munich in May 2021.
Rheindorf Altach
On June 17, 2022, Klose became the head coach of Austrian Bundesliga club SC Rheindorf Altach. His first game was a 3–1 win in the Austrian Cup. However, Altach and Klose parted ways in March 2023.
1. FC Nürnberg
On June 11, 2024, the German club 1. FC Nürnberg announced Klose as their new head coach.
Player Profile
Style of Play
Klose was a strong and powerful striker. He was especially known for his amazing ability to score goals with his head. This was because of his strength, good timing, and accuracy. In his best years, he was also a fast player with good movement in the penalty area. This helped him get away from defenders and score from crosses. He was also good at holding up the ball and creating chances for his teammates.
Goal Celebrations
Early in his career, Klose was famous for his exciting goal celebrations. These often included acrobatic mid-air somersaults!
Fair Play and Honesty
Throughout his career, Klose was known for his fair play and honesty. In April 2005, while playing for Werder Bremen, he refused a penalty kick that the referee had given. Klose felt the decision was wrong. He later received an award for his fair play. He said it was something everyone should always do.
In September 2012, Klose scored a goal for Lazio using his hand. The referee didn't see it, but Klose told him what happened. The goal was then disallowed. The referee even shook his hand for his honesty! Klose later received another fair play award for this action. He said it was important to be a role model for young people watching football.
Personal Life
Miroslav Klose is married to Sylwia, and they have twin sons named Luan and Noah. Klose has said that he and his wife speak Polish at home with their children. Their children learn German at school. Klose has dual nationality, meaning he is a citizen of both Poland and Germany. He became a German citizen when he was 18.
Klose is a devout Roman Catholic.
Honours and Achievements
Club Honours
- Werder Bremen
- DFL-Ligapokal: 2006
- Bayern Munich
- Bundesliga: 2007–08, 2009–10
- DFB-Pokal: 2007–08, 2009–10
- DFL-Ligapokal: 2007
- DFL-Supercup: 2010
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2009–10
- Lazio
- Coppa Italia: 2012–13
International Honours
- Germany
- FIFA World Cup: 2014 (Winner); 2002 (Runner-up); 2006, 2010 (Third place)
- UEFA European Championship: 2008 (Runner-up); 2012 (Third place)
Individual Awards
- FIFA World Cup Silver Shoe: 2002
- FIFA World Cup Golden Shoe: 2006
- FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2002, 2006
- Footballer of the Year in Germany: 2006
- Bundesliga Player of the Season: 2005–06
- Bundesliga top goalscorer: 2005–06 (25 goals)
- Bundesliga top assist provider: 2005–06, 2006–07
- kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2004–05, 2005–06
- UEFA awards 100 caps: 2011
- UEFA President's Award: 2023
Records
- FIFA World Cup all-time top scorer (16 goals)
- Germany all-time top scorer (71 goals)
See also
In Spanish: Miroslav Klose para niños
- List of top international men's football goalscorers by country
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
- List of men's footballers with 50 or more international goals
