Jürgen Klinsmann was pithy and to the point: “My goal is the world championship.” It was a very clear goal indeed – and what the fans wanted to hear in 2004 when he began his new job as Germany’s national coach. Deeds soon followed words. The team played convincingly in a number of friendlies and then performed energetically during the Confederations Cup. The year 2005 came to a close with an exciting draw in France that further raised German supporters’ hopes of a successful World Cup.

During his playing career the former world-class striker was renowned for his well-planned, intrepid attacks, scoring and setting up goals. No matter who he was playing for, be it VfB Stuttgart, Inter Milan, AS Monaco, Tottenham Hotspur, Bayern Munich or Sampdoria Genoa, Jürgen Klinsmann always got the emotions going – and invariably achieved his aims. He was German champion, 1996 European champion and 1990 World Cup winner. And no one can rejoice like he can.

Klinsmann pursued his personal goals as determinedly as those on the playing field. The smart guy from Swabia supported Greenpeace, talked with prisoners and used his time as a professional to learn languages and get to know foreign cultures. Off the pitch the emotional player turned out to be a cool-headed businessman. He negotiated his highly paid contracts by himself, refused to let anyone monopolize him and called it a day when he decided he’d had enough. After being one of Germany’s most popular players, he went to Los Angeles with his American wife, Debbie, built a new life there as a sports marketer and founded a children’s relief organization. Now the striker is back in the front line – in the offensive and ready to take risks.

It’s no easy job that Klinsmann has taken on. The pressure on a team participating in a World Cup in its own country is enormous. That’s his starting point. The team has to “realize that they can do great things”. He has broken down old structures associated with the national eleven, employed fitness trainers and organized psychological coaching. The team’s game has become more offensive, the pace faster. Klinsmann wants “to shape the game”. The fact that the 41-year-old had never coached a team before has long been forgotten. He knows how to win a World Cup and he has learned how to overcome his single-mindedness in the interest of the team spirit. He also has ample support from former fellow striker Oliver Bierhoff as team manager and Swabian Joachim Löw as assistant trainer. A new spirit is inspiring the team.