Expert interview
© Imago
Jürgen Klinsmann has been around as a world and European champion a lot in the football world, is considered a renewer of German football in front of the summer fairy tale in 2006 and experienced adventurous times at Bayern Munich, Hertha BSC, in the USA or South Korea. The FIFA Club World Cup, which was held in Los Angeles (California) from June 14th to July 13th, has an eye on the 60-year-old living in Los Angeles (California) not only because of the geographical closeness. Klinsmann belongs to the FIFA Technical Study Group, which will also take a close look at the tournament games with the help of data analyzes. In the expert interview with the transfer market, Klinsmann answers the most important questions about the club World Cup and reveals what FC Bayern and BVB awaits.
Transfer market: Mr. Klinsmann, the FIFPRO player union recently drew attention to the increasing burden for footballers. Bayern professional Min-Jae Kim is said to have traveled 74,000 kilometers around the globe this season. After the regular season, the club World Cup in the USA also takes place. Is that too much or is it sued at a high level? For an NBA player, such routes are distributed to one season everyday life …
Jürgen Klinsmann: We recently had this topic at an annual UEFA Football Board Meeting with experienced trainers and ex-players. We all believe that the players need at least four weeks at the end of the year to switch off physically and mentally. We have arrived at the absolute limit when it comes to the number of games and travel.
Transfer market: What are the advantages of the club World Cup? Is it more of a chance for the little clubs or more for the big ones to further open up the US market?
Klinsmann: It will be fascinating how clubs from different continents collide and how seriously they take this club World Cup. Each club will benefit from it, sporty as well as economically. As a former player, I definitely prefer to play such a competition than that I have to play five friendly games. And the chance to test the venues and conditions in the USA one year before the World Cup is a stroke of luck for many players. There will be games that are completely sold out – and then certainly one or the other where there is less interest. I will analyze the club World Cup for FIFA with a group of international coaches and I’m really looking forward to it.
Transfer market: Are FC Bayern and BVB exciting for US fans at all or is the focus more on Real Madrid, Man City, Chelsea and PSG?
Klinsmann: FC Bayern and BVB also have an incredible number of fans in the USA. I was recently at a fan party on the occasion of the classic in New York and the pub was full of Bavaria and BVB fans. Really great. A lot has happened in the United States in the Bundesliga in the past 30 years and as far as the general football interest is concerned. Of course, the big names like Real Madrid, Barça or Liverpool are always an issue …
Transfer market: What should you pay attention to at the tournament as a football fan?
Klinsmann: I hope that many clubs give their younger players a chance to show themselves in their squads. Maybe we see one or the other ‘new’ jewel – and also that coaches may try things out in the tactical area that they would not do during the normal season due to the extremely result -oriented game view. And how will the outsiders appear against the big names? Brave and play on victory or rather behave and don’t want to embarrass yourself?
Klinsmann about the event chakater in the USA and high ticket prices
Transfer market: How is the preparation in the United States going for this tournament? And what is the public’s perception with a view of the club World Cup?
Klinsmann: The Americans are very programmed on events. They love tournaments and events. The infrastructure by the American football stadiums is unique in the world that they could align a World Cup every year. Every university in the United States has better training facilities than many European professional clubs. Nothing will be missing. You are looking forward to the World Cup in Mexico, Canada and the USA next year. This will be an organizational mammoth program. But the Americans are not afraid of this. There will be another boost in the USA, with the long since the NFL, NBA, NHL, NHL and also baseball. There is room for all sports with over 350 million people in the USA.
Transfer market: FIFA demands usury prices for the club World Cup, four-digit sums are no longer an exception in the semi-finals. At an EM and World Cup you are there for less money. How can such prices be justified?
Klinsmann: In the United States, professional sports are entertainment at the same time and they spend a lot of money on it. You have the actually high identification with your favorite sport through your school and university system. This is more likely to be compared to our European view of normal ticket prices and emotional support for your favorite sports team. When the universities collide, nobody gets up and gets a beer or a pizza during the game, they are totally focused. Professional sports events are more about entertainment, such as at a concert. Let’s see how fans from all over the world will influence this mood in the stadiums.
Transfer market: Would you like to have such a tournament as a player in the past?
Clinser: Yes, I would have absolutely be in the mood for that. In 1993 we played the US Cup against Brazil, England and the USA. This was the forerunner for the FIFA Confederations Cup to try out the infrastructure for the World Cup that took place a year later. We won the tournament with Germany, in front of a sold -out stadiums in Detroit, Washington and San Francisco. That was a lot of fun. The chance of measuring yourself with the best in the world, whether at such a tournament or during the normal season, gives every footballer enormous motivation. Let us be surprised how this new FIFA club World Cup format is accepted by the teams and fans. After that we are certainly smarter.
Interview: Philipp Marquardt