Klinsmann: More fun with more goals

Germany coach Jurgen Klinsmann has come under intense fire for being too attack-minded and is accused of ignoring the defensive aspects that are well-known in the German teams of past years.

On the day when his team opens the World Cup in a match against Costa Rica, Klinsmann justifies his different approach in an interview with FIFA Magazine:

FIFA Magazine: When a coach takes over a team he often tries to build from the back. You took a different approach; you preach an attacking style of play.

Jurgen Klinsmann: Our approach from the beginning has been to work with the players to develop an identity, to define a football philosophy that the players share and uphold on the pitch. Our primary aim is to get the ball forward quickly and play. Only once we had agreed on this did we turn our attention to the individual sections of the team and consider the players with whom it might work.

And as for the game today?

Would you rather win a game 3-2 or 1-0?
3-2, because I used to be a striker. It’s simply more fun when more goals go in.

Read the full interview here.