286. Jürgen Klinsmann

Jürgen Klinsmann - 282.40 Performance Pts

Born: 30/07/1964    Goppingen, Germany                       

Position: Forward     Height: 1.81m    Weight: 73kg

'Are there any diving schools in London?' asked Klinsmann at a press conference after signing for Tottenham in 1994. His iconic diving celebration soon followed, after his first goal for Spurs, against Sheffield Wednesday. This was in reference to his dubious reputation for going to ground a tad easily; this was certainly in evidence at Italia 90, for example when winning the penalty that led to West Germany's 1-0 victory against Czechoslovakia in the quarter final. Klinsmann picked up a winner’s medal that year, and also at Euro 96. Although he had an injury-hit tournament, he recovered to play in the final and captained the side to victory against the Czechs. He started his club career with the lesser-known Stuttgart side, Stuttgarter Kickers, before moving to neighbours VfB Stuttgart in 1984. He made the first of his 108 international appearances whilst here, before becoming part of the German trio (alongside Matthaus and Brehme) at Inter, signing in 1989. He also played for Monaco (coached by Arsene Wenger at the time), Bayern Munich (winning his only career league title in 1997) and Sampdoria, before ending his playing career with a second spell at Spurs, in 1998, helping them avoid relegation. His goalscoring record was decent wherever he played; this included being Bundesliga top goalscorer in 1988 with Stuttgart, with 19 goals. He's well-known within the game since retirement, as a pundit and a manager. He's managed 2 national sides - his native Germany (including at their home World Cup in 2006) and the USA (including at the 2014 World Cup). He had relocated to California where he still resides. He's also managed Bayern Munich and Hertha Berlin. Klinsmann was voted 'Footballer of the Year' in 1995 following that first season with Spurs



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Players 260-251

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