Maier criticises appointment of Klinsmann

Jorge

Maier criticises appointment of Klinsmann
Posted on January 26, 2008

Bayern Munich’s goalkeeping coach Sepp Maier has strongly criticised the appointment of Jürgen Klinsmann as coach of the German giants for his complete lack of experience at club level.

Klinsmann, 43, will succeed current coach Ottmar Hitzfeld in July this year when the latter leaves Bayern at the end of the season to coach the Swiss national team.

But ex-West Germany goalkeeper Maier, 63, who started his career at Bayern in 1965, says Klinsmann’s total lack of experience at club level will count against him in the pressure-cooker atmosphere at Germany’s most famous side.

Bayern spent 69 million euros last summer to recruit top stars such as Franck Ribéry, Luca Toni and Miroslav Klose and are expected to win silverware this season and next.

“I am not pleased he will become Bayern’s coach,” Maier told German magazine Stern. “None of the backroom staff expected his appointment. Nobody, except the executive committee, saw it coming.

“He must know that coaching a national side and a club team are two totally different things. It is much harder to coach a club team and Bayern Munich is an established side.

“The club’s executive committee understands a lot about football and there are some strong opinions here. That could become a problem for Klinsmann in the running of the club.”

Maier does not expect to see the sweeping changes at Bayern which Klinsmann brought him when he took over coaching the German national side in 2004 until the 2006 World Cup, where his side finished third.

“He will find an outstanding support team here, which must not be changed,” said Maier. “He will have to deal with some strong personalities and handling the players is just as important.

“The pressure to suceed here is incredible, if the team loses three consecutive games there is much annoyance. There is massive expectation here to win a title every season.”

MUTU

Bayern Munich president Franz Beckenbauer has made public his scepticism at the future arrival of Jurgen Klinsmann as the club's new coach.

Beckenbauer sat by Klinsmann's side as he was unveiled earlier this month, but has already put some distance between himself and his former pupil.

"I can only hope he can last out for the full two years," said Beckenbauer at a function in Hanover on Sunday.

"He has not tried this yet. He has got to know that coaching a club is different to coaching the national team."

Beckenbauer is one man who has successfully led both club and country, winning the World Cup for Germany in 1990 and the UEFA Cup with Bayern in 1996, both with Klinsmann in his team.

Klinsmann's short managerial career has taken in only a two-year spell in charge of the Germany national team up to the 2006 World Cup.

The 43-year-old is yet to try his hand at management at club level, but will take over from Ottmar Hitzfeld at arguably the toughest club address in Germany in July.