TM interview
© Imago
Philipp Klement became a hero at SC Paderborn, celebrated three ascents in a row and stood in the DFB Cup final with 1. FC Kaiserslautern. The 32-year-old has been without a club since July 1, wants to prove it again, but is planning to take a look at the steps after his career. In the transfer market interview, he spoke about the turbulent time on Betzenberg, the ascents with the East Westphalia and his future.
“At the moment I keep fit with a personal coach and have been training with an Oberliga team since this week so that I do not have to do my rounds alone and be in team training again. You simply cannot simulate that,” says Klement, who has a market value of 350,000 euros. The fact that he was not in preparation for the first time in a long time has changed everyday life. “Now it is a little more relaxed and I can plan freely, but the situation leaves me dissatisfied because I have the urge to play football again and need the competition. I would like to have a new challenge.”
When continuing his career, Klement keeps two options open. “The 2nd Bundesliga is still an option for me because I know it and made it most of the games. It is simply a very exciting league and I would like to prove myself again. There are so many great clubs there, the stadiums are almost always full and there is a good mood. It is simply fun to play in the league,” explains the offensive midfielder and adds: “I would also like to have an experience abroad again. Exciting to play in another country and get to know a new football nation.
Klement at FCK: “Special feeling” and “Turbulent time”
In the summer of 2022, Klement returned to his youth club Kaiserslautern after eleven years. “It was a special feeling, because Kaiserslautern is my home club and I grew up there. As a little boy, I was regularly with my dad in the stadium, later as a ball boy. Even being able to play for the youth club was something great.” Between 2004 and 2011 he was trained at the FCK before going to the 1st FC Nürnberg in 2011. He only made his debut for the professionals of the Red Teufel at the age of 29.
Kaiserslautern became ninth in the 2nd Bundesliga in the first year after the ascent, followed by places 13 and 7. Nevertheless, Klement speaks of a turbulent time. “If you only look at the placements, then you think of relaxed seasonal courses. But five change of coaches in three years are enormous. It is mentally exhausting when a new coach comes with new impulses and you have to get used to it again and again. Every coach has a different philosophy and so there was never really rest in the club. This has also been noticed in the team and so a bit of the consistency has been lost.” With Dirk Schuster, Dimitrios Grammozis, Friedhelm Funkel, Markus Beginner and Torsten Lieberknecht, he had five coaches in three years.
In the first season, the native of Ludwigshafen contributed three goals and six templates in 24 second division games, after which he was increasingly lacking injury due to injury. “The time was frustrating because I always try to be professional and deal with everything very conscientiously. If you are still thrown back by injuries, it is just annoying. When Friedhelm Funkel came, he made me feel good and wanted to build on me again. Then I got hurt, started again too early and then I was injured again.” After a good start to the 2024/25 season, he was missing a few games and only ran up again in early May. His last effort was 0: 4 at 1. FC Köln on the 34th matchday. “In the time in Kaiserslautern, I managed too rarely to call up my maximum performance. The reasons for this were diverse. In the end, you can say that my way of playing football did not fit properly to the virtues that are asked on the Betzenberg.”
Why Klement moved to Stuttgart despite the rise with Paderborn
In January 2018, Klement moved from the Mainz second representative to SC Paderborn, where he immediately became a regular player and rose to the 2nd Bundesliga. “In the whole club there was such a positive mood that was above all of Steffen Baumgart. You can say that he infected the club with it, also because he gave us players so much confidence. His credo was that you could make mistakes and he only has a problem with it if you don’t trust yourself. Not questioned, ”he enthuses about this time.
The SC Paderborn was also unstoppable in the following season and the march succeeded in the Bundesliga. Klement played a major role with 16 goals and seven templates in 31 missions. “We got into a flow, climbed and continued to play extremely offensive and did not adapt our way of playing. So we were able to transfer this positive way. I came to a functioning team and felt the coach’s trust from the start, it made me so strong.”
Although Klement with Paderborn had the chance to play Bundesliga, he decided to switch to VfB Stuttgart, which had just relegated. VfB paid 2.5 million euros for him. “You have to say that the transfer has been home for a long time. When the conversations had started, it was not yet clear that Paderborn would succeed and descend Stuttgart. However, I chose VfB because this club has an enormous radiance and this was the next step in my career,” explains the left foot. “As a athlete, you strive for the maximum and then such a step is an absolute challenge. In the end, I made the leap into the Bundesliga with VfB.” The promotion with the Swabians was the third in a row for Klement.
In the first season, Klement completed 19 games and was able to contribute four templates to return Bundesliga. After that, his season was significantly reduced, which was also due to the competitive situation in Stuttgart. “There were players like Orel Mangala, Wataru Endo or Nico González. In addition, Gregor Kobel and Waldemar Anton. I don’t know if there was a better second division squad. In my position, the competition was enormous and it was not easy to stand in the starting eleven every week.” Among other things, he competed with Daniel Didavi, Philipp Förster, Mateo Klimowicz and Gonzalo Castro. “I succeeded from time to time, which was also a very good performance, but if you didn’t deliver two or three games, you were back on the replacement bench. It was a completely new situation, because I came to Stuttgart as a placed player from Paderborn. In retrospect, I also have to say that I could not build on the performance from Paderborn, because I was missing the goals and templates.”
Klement’s wish: “Play football again, without thinking big”
Klement had two large highlights in his moving career. “Once the Bundesliga promotion with Paderborn, where I played a major role. It was something very special. And then of course the DFB Cup final with Kaiserslautern, where I was used.” Kaiserslautern was the first second division club in 2024 in 13 years to make the leap into the final of Berlin – Klement was substituted seven minutes before the end.
The left foot is also well prepared for a career end, which he does not plan yet. “I also completed a bachelor’s degree in sports business management. After the active career, I would like to show that I can also be successful outside of the square. I have been quite well prepared, because I have taken a lot with me over the years and made a lot of notes,” he explains and adds with a smile: “But that can take a while, because I would like to play football again at the end of my career. have ambitious team. “