National soccer team: Jürgen K. in New York: The German soccer doublet

While Jürgen Klopp greets from the Big Apple in his work as a World Cup expert for MagentaTV and as a top candidate for the DFB job, the global metropolis on the Hudson River also became the setting for the national coach question in 2004.

Jürgen Klinsmann flew in from Los Angeles. The then DFB President Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder and the General Secretary Horst R. Schmidt came from Frankfurt. You met halfway, so to speak.

DFB delegation flew in

The meeting was arranged by ex-national coach Berti Vogts. Klinsmann reported that I had a constructive and open conversation for over five hours. Shortly afterwards he took responsibility for the national football team.

German football was on the rocks back then too. Rudi Völler resigned as team boss after the European Championship exit in the group phase. Two years before the home World Cup in 2006, the need was great and Klinsmann became the great innovator and savior. The summer fairy tale was a huge success – with a starting point in New York.