NEWS | LATEST NEWS back Breaking news Jürgen Klinsmann to succeed Hitzfeld at Bayern
MEHR ZUM THEMA Interview: Jürgen Klinsmann exclusively on FCB.tv > ISDN > DSL1 > DSL2 11.01.2008 Former Germany boss Jürgen Klinsmann will succeed Ottmar Hitzfeld as Bayern head coach on 1 July 2008, the club announced on Friday.
The appointment sees Klinsmann return to the club where he won UEFA Cup and German championship honours in a two-year stint as a player between 1995 and 1997.
Hitzfeld: a first-class solution
The former world-class striker, a 1990 World Cup winner who captained his country to Euro 1996 glory and scored 47 goals in 108 international appearances, spent two years at the Germany helm and guided the host nation to third place at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The 43-year-old will now take on the challenge of leading Bayern to domestic and European success.
“Congratulations to Bayern Munich. This is a first-class solution. Jürgen Klinsmann is an outstanding coach and a tremendous man-motivator, who had an excellent World Cup with the national team,“ Hitzfeld commented at Bayern’s Säbener Strasse headquarters on Friday. “He also speaks English, French and Italian, and will be able to communicate well with the players.“
Positive reaction from dressing room
General manager Uli Hoeneß informed the squad of the board’s decision to appoint Klinsmann ahead of a scheduled morning training session. “This is an absolutely superb choice. We’re delighted Jürgen Klinsmann is to be our new coach,“ Germany striker Miroslav Klose declared. “I think it’s great the board have already come to a decision,“ added Willy Sagnol.
“We did very well under him with the national team,“ remarked Lukas Podolski. The new role will be Klinsmann’s first experience of coaching at club level, “but he did an extremely good job for Germany,“ Sagnol observed. “The Germany internationals know what kind of a guy he is, so we view this very positively,“ confirmed Bastian Schweinsteiger.
Already immersed in the club
As a player, Klinsmann set a club record with 15 goals in the 1996 UEFA Cup winning run and earned his championship winners’ medal the following season. “He knows his Bayern Munich,“ Hitzfeld commented. “I hope we have a couple of trophies to defend when he arrives,“ added Schweinsteiger.
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Former German national coach Jürgen Klinsmann has been signed as the new Bayern Munich coach for the 2008/2009 Bundesliga season. This will mark Klinsmann's first managerial position at club level, succeeding current coach Ottmar Hitzfeld.

Over the past few months Klinsmann was being considered for various coach positions after reforming the German national team and finishing 3rd at the 2006 Football World Cup as coach of the German national team. Previously there had been reports that he was looking at Newcastle, Chelsea, Tottenham and there also was a possibility for him to be Steve McClaren's successor as the national coach for the English football team.

Klinsmann will be returning to the club where he played from 1995 till 1997 and won a UEFA Cup, a German league championship and a League Cup. Klinsmann's contract will start on July 1, 2008.