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Still Available for Work

DW staff (nda)August 27, 2007

You used to know where you were with Jürgen Klinsmann. Until he took over the German national team, it was most likely to be on a beach in California. These days, Klinsi could be anywhere if you listen to soccer rumors.

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Jürgen Klinsmann
Klinsmann remains tight-lipped over rumors linking him to LA Galaxy and TottenhamImage: picture-alliance/ dpa

What a year it has been for Jürgen Klinsmann. If one believes everything written about the former Germany coach over the past 12 months it appears that Klinsi has spent his sabbatical jet-setting around the globe, having high-profile interviews for every vacant managerial position in soccer -- and turning every single one of the down.

After relinquishing the reins of the national squad after the 2006 World Cup, Klinsmann has been linked to coaching jobs with the national teams of the United States, Australia and Mexico and was touted as a successor to Jose Moriniho as manager of English Premiership side Chelsea before the current season began.

Now it seems that Klinsmann is either going to try his hand at owning a soccer club or add his enthusiastic momentum to the slow revolution of the game in his adopted homeland of the United States.

The latest Klinsi rumors surfaced last week as his former international charges beat England in a friendly match in London and Tottenham Hotspur, his former league club in the English capital, was going through a highly premature coaching crisis.

Just two days after a makeshift Germany side triumphed 2-1 at Wembley, Klinsmann's name was cropping up in relation to one of those who faced his compatriots on Wednesday night.

Klinsi allegedly in line for Galaxy hot-seat

David Beckham relaxes during training with LA Galaxy
Beckham's arrival has stressed his coach outImage: AP

David Beckham, formerly a serious soccer player and now main attraction at LA Galaxy's traveling circus, had just arrived back in the US after a grueling transatlantic round trip and could barely muster a limp in his side's loss to local rivals Chivas in the Major Soccer League Western Conference clash.

While most of the stateside stories asked whether Becks could handle playing for the Galaxy and helping England qualify for the 2008 European Championships at the same time, others were inserting paragraphs about how Galaxy coach Frank Yallop couldn't handle managing the former Real Madrid and Man United mega-star.

With the Galaxy languishing second from bottom in the conference and way off the pace for the play-off places, Yallop's days look to be numbered. And so, with a very high-profile manager's seat on the verge of becoming vacant, Klinsmann's name was once again churned out by the rumor mill.

OC resident with great CV

Klinsmann, already a resident of the sunshine state, would not have to travel far to take over from Yallop if he were to be forced out of the Galaxy hot-seat. But, true to form, the German has refused to say anything, neither denying nor confirming any involvement and stoking the fires of speculation further by keeping his own counsel.

However, Klinsmann worked as a consultant for the Galaxy in 2004 before taking over the Germany team and with his Orange County home just 20 minutes away from the team's base, it appears as though the connections and infrastructure are already in place for Klinsi's return to coaching.

But as recent history has taught us, we've been here before.

Former Spurs striker to return as coach?

Now, depending on which newspapers you've been reading, Klinsmann could be forsaking the chance to coach Beckham and Co. in the Californian sunshine for either the chairman’s or manager’s job at Premiership side Tottenham.

Four games in and the crazy world of English soccer is already talking about its first potential coaching casualty. Three defeats in four have seen the pressure heaped on incumbent coach Martin Jol and it appears the man who has taken Tottenham to consecutive fifth-place finishes after years of mid-table mediocrity now has only three more matches to save his job.

Jürgen Klinsmann with his VW Beetle in his Spurs days
Klinsi would get a better car if he returned to Spurs as coachImage: picture-alliance/ dpa

If he is sacked by the end of September, some papers have Klinsmann battling it out with Sevilla coach Juande Ramos for the vacancy, should it happen. Ramos has an enviable record in Spain but Klinsmann, a talismanic striker for Spurs during two spells with the club in the 90's, remains a firm favorite with the fans.

Other papers, however, paint Klinsmann as the knight in shining armor riding into the boardroom at Spurs to save both Jol and the club from the apparent insanity which has settled over the current board.

Again, the strings pulling this potential deal into shape stretch back to California. A consortium of businessmen are reportedly lining up a financial package which would buy Spurs outright and hand Klinsmann either the coach’s job or a director of soccer position in which he has ultimate control of the playing side (again, depending on who you read).

Klinsmann, as you would expect, has not commented on this speculation either.

Watch this space.