Klinsmann Will Not Be the New U.S. Soccer Coach
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
Juergen Klinsmann withdrew yesterday from consideration as coach of the U.S. soccer team after several months of talks failed to lead to an agreement.
The U.S. Soccer Federation president, Sunil Gulati, scheduled a telephone conference call with reporters Friday “to make an important announcement on the search for the next head coach of the U.S. men’s national team,” a USSF statement said.
Bob Bradley, the coach of Major League Soccer’s Chivas USA team, was to be announced Friday as the interim coach of the national team, a soccer official with knowledge of the decision told the AP. He also spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement had not been made.
Klinsmann, who led Germany to the World Cup semifinals last summer, was the overwhelming favorite for the U.S. job.
“Sunil (Gulati) and I have concluded our discussions about the US men’s national team program, and I have withdrawn my name from consideration as coach,” he said in an e-mailed statement. “I’m not going to go into details about our conversations. But, I certainly want to wish the next coach of the U.S. men’s national team much success, and I want to, also, thank Sunil for the opportunity to exchange ideas.”
Earlier this week, it appeared the USSF and Klinsmann were moving toward an agreement. Authority had been as big an issue as money in the talks, a second person familiar with the negotiations said, also speaking on condition of anonymity.
Klinsmann’s friend, Bruce Arena, was let go in July after 7 1/2 years. Arena coached the American team to the World Cup quarterfinals in 2002,the best showing by America since the initial tournament in 1930. But the U.S. team was eliminated in the first round this year.
A former star forward for Germany’s national team, Klinsmann took on the Germany job as his first professional coaching assignment. He lives in Newport Beach, Calif. — a close commute to the practice facility in Carson where the Americans often train.
The Americans, who haven’t played since being eliminated from the World Cup in June, open 2007 with a January 20 exhibition against Denmark at Carson.
