Klinsmann causes waves in Bayern
Updated: 2008-04-11 13:16
BERLIN: Three months before he takes over as Bayern Munich head coach, Jurgen Klinsmann is already causing waves in the south Germany city as he prepares for his first season in charge.
Klinsmann will succeed Ottmar Hitzfeld, who will coach Switzerland after Euro 2008, on July 1 and has begun instigating changes that have not gone down well in Munich.
When it was announced last month that the public restaurant at Bayern's Saebener Strasse training ground will close to make way for a new team room, a flurry of negative stories rippled through the German media criticising Klinsmann.
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Part of the training pitch will be sealed off and the neighboring restaurant closed.
But red-faced Bayern bosses were forced to issue a statement insisting training will remain open to the fans.
Since it was announced on Jan 11 that Klinsmann would be taking over, he has been busy recruiting his back-room staff and meeting club bosses.
Klinsmann, who coached Germany to third place at the 2006 World Cup, has been handed a remit to modernize the way Bayern prepares with an eight-hour training day and extra facilities for the players.
He met with Hitzfeld before last week's UEFA Cup 1-1 quarterfinal draw with Getafe, but even his presence at the game later drew fierce criticism from Bayern captain Oliver Kahn. Kahn is no fan of the new Bayern boss.
At the 2006 World Cup, Klinsmann dropped Kahn in favor of Arsenal's Jens Lehmann and the Bayern man has a long memory.
"I consider that is a lack of style," said Kahn claiming Klinsmann's presence distracted attention away from the Bayern team.
"In all my career, I never saw or heard of a trainer who will take over a team the following season attending matches before the season is over."
Kahn, who will retire at the end of this campaign, later said he overreacted.
But there is no doubt the German press are still wary of Klinsmann ever since he coached the national side between 2004 and 2006 while living in the United States.
Even the fact that he took the national team to a surprise third-place has not helped his image in some quarters.
Bayern club manager Uli Hoeness is perplexed as to why Klinsmann divides opinions so strongly.
"He does not say anything and yet he is criticized and attacked," said Hoeness.
Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rumenigge was also amazed at the media debate over Klinsmann's presence at the Allianz Arena.
"I really don't understand," said Rumenigge.
Rumennigge said the visit had been previously agreed to and the team knew nothing of Klinsmann's presence before the game "so there's no way they can have been distracted or put off".
Klinsmann had even asked Hitzfeld's permission to attend the match when the pair dined together the previous evening.
"I've heard it was a very productive conversation," said Rumenigge.
"At the end of the chat, Jurgen asked Ottmar if his coming to the match would be a problem and was told it was no problem. We need to stay relaxed about the whole thing. We're in good shape at the moment and shouldn't be making problems for ourselves."
It is unlikely Klinsmann will bring in major new names on the playing side, especially as Bayern splashed out 69 million euros ($109 million) last summer to sign world-class players Franck Ribery, Luca Toni and Miroslav Klose.
The arrival of Germany international Tim Borowski from Werder Bremen has already been confirmed and a new goalkeeper may arrive to replace Kahn.
But Klinsmann will be hoping for a warmer welcome when he actually starts work in July.
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