U.S. soccer fans will recognize the attitude displayed by former Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann in a recent interview with the London Times. The Southern California resident makes it abundantly clear that he isn’t going to work on anyone’s terms but his own. Last April, then-Portsmouth football directorAvram Grant traveled to Klinsmann’s California home to try and woo the former Germany coach to Chelsea (where Grant is now manager).
However, “working with Abramovich’s team of advisers was never likely to appeal to a man with a singular vision of how to recruit and develop players and who, in his previous position as coach of the Germany team, had made it plain that it was his way or no way,” says the Times. Klinsmann, an already a wealthy man, is in it to win, not for the money. So if the terms don’t suit it’s easy to walk away — even from Chelsea’s billionaire owner Roman Abramovich.
“As manager, you will get fired sooner or later so you should be in charge of everyone involved with football: the players, coaches, staff. You are on a lost track already if the president chooses the players or you don’t have that power,” the German says, alluding to Abramovich’s habit of hiring several advisors and insisting on bringing in certain players. “If you are not given all the tools, then don’t do it.” Sound familiar? It should — it was for many of the same reasons that Klinsmann turned down the head coaching job for the U.S. national team.