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Report: Klinsmann, Wagner candidates for Bayer Leverkusen job

Jurgen Klinsmann has always been a popular name in the coaching rumor mill and, just a few months after leaving the U.S. Men’s National Team, his name has resurfaced again with links to a major job in his home country.

According to German outlet Bild, Klinsmann is one of three contenders to become manager of Bayer Leverkusen. The club’s former manager, Roger Schmidt, departed this past weekend while Tayfun Korkut has been named boss until the end of the season.

A potential move would see Klinsmann reunite with sporting director Rudi Voller, his former Germany teammate, in his first club coaching job since departing Bayern Munich in 2009.

Included among the other possible candidates is David Wagner, who is currently in charge of Huddersfield Town. The former U.S. Men’s National Team forward has the club on a push for promotion in the English Championship, where they currently sit in third place.

The third candidate is reportedly Hoffenheim’s Julian Nagelsmann, who has led the club all the way to fourth in the Bundesliga this season.

 

Comments

  1. I don’t really see JK as a club manager. The daily grind of tactics and development doesn’t seem his cup of tea. He seems more a motivator/team builder that could run a national team for a cycle.

    Reply
      • He took a German team that didn’t make it out of the group stage in the Euros 2004 and took them to a 3rd place in the WC and almost completely rebuilt that team and changed their style. He did a good job with the US from 2012-2014 getting us through a difficult group. His records with the US and Germany are similar to Arena, Bradley, and even Low. He was given no chance at Bayern being allowed only one transfer in each window, and neither were on caliber of the stars Bayern regularly spends on today. His shelf life seems to be about two years, but to completely discredit him isn’t fair.

      • but to completely discredit him isn’t fair.

        Wenger became so polarizing it could be mistaken for political ideologies. People either like him or don’t, and want to ignore facts and statistics based on this ideology.

        It’s a lost cause for people who have their mind made up for reasons beyond soccer…often derived from his opinions on MLS/state of US soccer development, etc.

    • i wouldn’t go as far as chicago josh, but i do think that klinsmann’s ideal role would be as a sporting director. i really would’ve liked to see him take on (only) that role for the usmnt.

      he’s a big picture guy, and he’s got the charisma and connections that can be hugely beneficial at the organizational level. i just doubt that he would want to be “reduced” to such a position–he really just wants to still be on the field.

      Reply
      • I think you nailed it. Of course some of it is natural development because so many young Americans are playing soccer, but I think it is clear that our youth program is on much better footing now and producing far better results since Klinsmann came in and made some major changes.

      • “but I think it is clear that our youth program is on much better footing now and producing far better results since Klinsmann came in”

        I don’t know where you get that from Gary. You must be focusing only on that u-20 World Cup team and ignoring everything else. There was far more failure and bad results with the youth squads than good results during JK’s time in charge.

      • @Ucla I tend to agree with Gary, I don’t have any stats in front of me to back that up, simply an eye test. While the results weren’t always what we wanted I think you can see the amount of competition at every position has increased or at least the opportunities for more youth to show what they have. The younger guys being brought up to the senior team would indicate that to me as well. It is possible a lot of this has to due with the natural progression of the sport in the US as popularity grows but I think some credit has to be given to Klinsmann.

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