Jürgen Klinsmann

German striker and manager, world champion in 1990 and Euro 1996 winner.

Jürgen Klinsmann (born 30 July 1964) is a German professional football manager and former player. He played for several prominent clubs in Europe including VfB Stuttgart, Inter Milan, Monaco, Tottenham Hotspur, and Bayern Munich. He was part of the West German team that won the 1990 FIFA World Cup and the unified German team that won the UEFA Euro 1996.

Quick Facts

Born: 30 July 1964
Birthplace: Göppingen, West Germany
Height: 1.81 m / 5 ft 11 in
Position: Striker

Lore & Background

Considered one of Germany's premier strikers during the 1990s, Klinsmann scored in all six major international tournaments he participated in for Germany, from UEFA Euro 1988 to the 1998 FIFA World Cup. In 1995, he came in third in the FIFA World Player of the Year award; in March 2004 he was named in the FIFA 100 list of the '125 Greatest Living Footballers'. In 2016, he became the fifth player to be named as honorary captain of Germany.

Reader's Guide

Klinsmann began his professional career in 1982 at second-division side Stuttgarter Kickers. In 1984 he moved to VfB Stuttgart, where he became Bundesliga top goalscorer in 1987–88 and was named German Footballer of the Year in 1988. He later played for Inter Milan (winning the UEFA Cup in 1990–91), Monaco, Tottenham Hotspur (where he won the 1995 Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year), and Bayern Munich (winning the 1995–96 UEFA Cup and the 1996–97 Bundesliga). He also had brief spells at Sampdoria and Orange County Blue Star. As a manager, he led the German national team to a third-place finish at the 2006 FIFA World Cup and later coached Bayern Munich and the United States national team.

Did You Know?

Klinsmann scored 16 goals in a single match at age eight for TB Gingen.
He completed an apprenticeship as a baker before turning professional.
In 1995, over 150,000 of his Tottenham Hotspur shirts were sold.
He set a UEFA Cup goalscoring record of 15 goals in 12 matches for Bayern Munich in 1995–96.