As the charismatic, 41-year-old Jurgen Klinsmann on Wednesday stunned about 82-million Germans by declaring he was stepping down as national soccer coach after a tenure of two years, South African observers in Germany gathering ideas for the hosting of the 2010 World Cup were echoing the sentiment: ”Where can Bafana find another Klinsmann?”
The German population, to a man, had placed Klinsmann on a pedestal after he rejuvenated an ailing, dispirited and directionless team and guided them to an exciting, creditable third place at the recently completed World Cup.
And with posters plastered round the country proclaiming ”Danke Klinsi” in anticipation of Klinsmann continuing the resurrection of German soccer, the last thing on everyone’s mind here was that he was planning to abdicate his position.
But the affable, inspirational 108-times-capped Klinsmann — who scored 47 international goals for Germany and cemented his reputation as having a Midas touch while with Tottenham Hotspur — is his own man, if nothing else.
Relinquishing his position with the national team at this juncture was what he termed ”an extremely difficult but calculated and carefully examined decision”.
Not that Germany is taking this decision without a murmur, and widespread pressure is being exerted on the man who changed the image of the national team to change his mind.
Youthful in appearance and manner, but knowledgeable and widely experienced, Klinsmann had a close relationship with most of the German players and spread an infectious enthusiasm among their ranks.
His coaching methods were on occasion revolutionary and unorthodox, and at times prompted grave misgivings, but he proved his detractors wrong.
Conspicuous in this respect was his decision to replace German goalkeeping hero Oliver Kahn with Jens Lehmann, with Lehmann emerging as one of the stars of the World Cup.
Klinsmann refused to move his home base from Huntingdon Beach, California, in the United States and appointed a fitness trainer as a close adviser who had little, if any experience in soccer. But here too the results proved him right.
With the South African Football Association poised to make the long-delayed, fateful decision on who will take on the coaching reins with Bafana in order to eradicate the current morass before the 2010 World Cup, it would seem only a coach with Klinsmann’s enthusiasm, player rapport, amiable but at times necessary ruthless streak, and perceptive experience will be good enough.
But, like the Germans, South Africans may be wondering if there is another such candidate available. — Sapa