Portal de San Pedro del Pinatar
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The interview they are going to read is a summary of a 15-minute conversation with the legend Jürgen Klinsmann.
A talk that was interrupted by the entry of two Civil Guard agents into the hotel hall where we met.
But let me tell you this curious story later.
The record of the German striker says it all: 1 World Cup (Italy 1990, with Bodo Illgner, Lothar Matthäus and on the bench Franz Beckenbauer), 1 European Championship, 1 Bundesliga, 2 UEFA Cups.
As coach he led the Germany that finished third in the 2006 World Cup, and the United States team in the 2014 Brazil World Cup (reaching eighths).
He was also Bayern Munich coach in the 2008/09 season.
In the sports center Pinatar Arena in San Pedro del Pinatar (Murcia) a festival of matches has been held between different national teams, all of them from sub-20 or sub-23 categories.
One of the participants was the USA team that has Jonathan Klinsmann in the goal.
And even Spain has moved Jürgen, his father, to see his son in action.
Despite what happened, how about your stay these days here?
All right.
This tournament happens now when I was in Germany to comment on the matches of the national team against Serbia and Holland, so I only had two days to come here to Spain to see my son (Jonathan Klinsmann, Hertha Berlin and USA U23) play these parties.
I come from America (resides in the USA) to Europe every six weeks to see my son play in Berlin.
I love travelling.
It is my first time in this area of ​​Spain, between Murcia and Alicante, and I must say that it is beautiful.
"The 2026 World Cup is a gift from God for America, this will make it work long term in the US team."
You are now working as a commentator for a German television, when will we see you again on a bench?
I have worked for this television but only analyzing these qualifying matches for the European Championship.
I have not trained for two years because I have a girl who goes to school, and training meant traveling a lot and little time to devote to the family.
This summer he turns 17, he finishes school and I want to train a team again.
Let's see what options are presented.
Do you trust the level of the USA after the bump of not qualifying for the last World Cup?
The non-qualification for the Russian tournament was a disaster.
In contrast, the true level of US players between 18 and 23 years of age is of high quality.
What they need now is to find the way to get closer to European teams such as Spain, Italy, Holland, England ... We have several players of these ages competing in Europe, in Hannover, Ajax, Hertha, Wigan ... and more will come.
These footballers will grow the national team and I hope they qualify for the next World Cup.
After the election of the USA, Mexico and Canada as venues of the 2026 World Cup, I suppose that the United States Federation will reinforce its efforts in making a good team.
It is a gift from God that the 2026 World Cup is celebrated in America.
This has meant that now we are working on a long-term plan, and not just think about what will happen in two or three years.
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar is also important but the priority now is to think about building a team in 6 or 8 years from young talents with whom much can be done.
"German football is a disaster, there is a lot of work to be done and Joachim is the right person for this."
In addition to improving the competitive experience with footballers playing in Europe, what else does the US need to climb a step?
The United States team for qualifying for the World Cup in Russia did not do its job well.
The constancy is very important, it is not worth that from now up and now down, we must stop and think that the great nations do it this way, always from the constancy.
They are always the same among the best because they work on that plan.
Look at Germany that has gone down in its performance, because now it has to be renewed, as Spain did a long time ago.
In your recent public statements you have been very worried and critical about the low level of the German national team, how bad do you see it?
German football is a disaster.
If you see the last participation of Germany in the World Cup, what he did next against Holland and France, and analyze the current Bundesliga where the level is very bad, because that says it all.
And Bayern Munich out of the eight best teams in Europe in the Champions League.
We only have one German club left in the Europa League (the Eintracht Frankfurt).
It is a disaster, a disaster for German football.
There is a great work to be done to become great again.
After the failure of Germany in Russia and the new tournament of nations last year the figure of Joachim Löw is quite questioned.
The coach is making important decisions such as leaving veterans like Müller, Hummels and Boateng out of the last list ...
What do you think?
Joachim is the right person to do this.
He needs help from veteran players and the new generation to win again.
Germany needs to change to stop disappointing.
Now is the time to build a new team for the next Eurocup in 2020, for Qatar 2022. I really think that Joachim Löw is the right person, he is a very good coach, when he won the 2014 World Cup and now.
Therefore, it is good for this new generation to have calm, patience, what I told you about consistency, to build a team with hope.
One of the references of the German team has been in recent years Toni Kroos.
A player that this season has lowered his performance a lot.
How are you seeing him and the current Real Madrid?
Toni is an exceptional player.
What has happened to Real Madrid is human, after winning three Champions, Ronaldo leaves, Zidane leaves ... it is normal that a bad year arrives.
It is impossible to win the European Cup every year.
Impossible.
Toni is a fantastic player and I think his great level will return.
It is a single player in a template, and needs to wrap up players at a good level to return to their best performance.
Speaking of referring players, you are a football legend.
It must be hard for your child to play with his legendary last name on his back.
How do you wear it?
It has been and is very difficult for Jonathan from the beginning because everyone sees that, the last name.
But he concentrates a lot on his work and is calm, and that is very important for a goalkeeper.
He has a great talent, he's tall, and he's very good technically because he started playing midfielder.
Until the age of 12 he played in that position, and he also combined it competing also in basketball.
For this reason, he has a good handling of the ball with his feet.
The fashion is this, goalkeepers like Neuer or Ter Stegen who know how to play the ball well with their feet and Jonathan has this quality.
He decided to go to Hertha Berlin because there is a very good goalkeeping coach, but after two years in the club now he has to take the next step.
In Hertha he does not play because there is a goalkeeper with a lot of experience and what he needs is to play.
He has quoted two great goalkeepers, Manuel Neuer and André Ter Stegen.
Both compete hard for the ownership in the selection, which one do you like the most?
Germany has two great goalkeepers, Neuer and Ter Stegen, both are exceptional, the best there is, so I like both.
I'm a fan of Messi and Ronaldo, both are phenomena, both. "
Returning to the selections, how do you see the new Spanish team where Luis Enrique is making so many changes?
I was in Moscow watching the national team in the match against Russia.
It is good every time you are disappointed because it is time to make changes.
And that Luis Enrique makes so many changes betting on young talents is normal.
Every four years after the big tournament it is time to give opportunities to new generations.
Preparing to play a good European Championship is fine, but the big tournament is the World Cup, it is the biggest, and it is in 2022. There are three years to build a good team, nothing is achieved instantly and now is the time to try changes.
Last year in the friendly between Germany and Spain I saw one of the best matches in years, you have players of enormous talent.
He pointed out that a World Cup is the most there is in football, can you be the best player in history without winning a World Cup?
I'm a fan of Messi and Ronaldo, both are phenomena, both.
I was last summer in Argentina watching Boca Juniors against River Plate and people are crazy.
The Argentines are crazy.
Messi clear that he wants to win a World Cup.
Take twelve or fourteen years doing incredible football, after all this Messi deserves a great title with his country, let's see if it is the Copa América this summer.
* The curious story surrounding this interview is as follows.
On the morning of that day Jürgen had a coffee in front of Murcia beach.
When he returned to his car, he found the glass of a broken door, his backpack had been stolen (with his passports, laptop, etc ...).
The German coach put the complaint before the Civil Guard and only had to wait.
The hours passed and at eight o'clock at night two agents entered the hall of the hotel where Klinsmann was staying and where we conducted this interview to give him the good news.
The Civil Guard had found the backpack thrown on the beach and inside almost all of Jürgen's belongings.
The German thanked them for the effort by giving them a shirt signed by him.
A generous detail of a legend that did not stop smiling despite the morning scare.
Source: TresCuatroTres.es
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