Wednesday August 13, 2008

Klinsmann heads crop of new coaches in Bundesliga

FRANKFURT (AP) - The biggest signing in the Bundesliga will spend the season on the bench.

Bayern Munich invested more than euro70 million (US$105 million) in new stars last season and the club-record outlay paid off when it swept the domestic double. This season, Bayern did not spend a cent on new players.

Perhaps Germany's richest club could not afford any after the arrival of Juergen Klinsmann as new coach.

Klinsmann replaces Ottmar Hitzfeld, who left to coach Switzerland, after delivering the Bundesliga title and the German Cup.

The terms of Klinsmann's two-year deal are not known, but he doesn't come cheaply.

Klinsmann also brought along an 11-member international support staff - the size of a lineup - that includes Canadians, Americans and Brazilians.

He set up a new high-tech training center, a chill-out lounge with Buddha statutes supposed to exude positive energy, meals designed by a three-star chef and language classes.

To make communication easier among his international staff and players, Klinsmann has hired simultaneous interpreters.

Klinsmann electrified Germany when he led the host nation to a third-place finish at the World Cup at home in 2006, but he has never coached a club.

Now, he is in charge of Germany's biggest, most successful and most scrutinized club and his job will be to establish Bayern in the Champions League.

At home, Bayern is always expected to battle for the title and it will be seeking its 22nd championship.

Bayern had to play in the less lucrative UEFA Cup last season and lost in the semifinals to the eventual winner, Zenit St. Petersburg.

All of Klinsmann's innovations will mean nothing if Bayern is unable to reach the later stages of the Champions League.

Bayern officials know that winning the title may be out of reach since Bayern is unable to spend the huge sums Europe's top clubs from England, Spain and Italy pay for new players each new season.

With television income at home lower than in those countries, Bayern needs the Champions League cash to remain competitive.

Klinsmann has not had a smooth start.

Bayern lost to Inter Milan and Borussia Dortmund in warm-up matches and needed a late goal to overcome third-division Rot-Weiss Erfurt 4-3 in the first round of the German cup.

Midfield star Franck Ribery, voted player of the year in his first season in Germany, is out until at least September with an ankle injury picked up during France's disappointing Euro 2008 campaign.

Striker Luca Toni, who topped the Bundesliga with 24 goals last season but did not score for Italy at Euro 2008, may not be ready for the season's opener Friday against Hamburger SV. Defenders Willy Sagnol and Martin Demichelis also are out with injuries.

Klinsmann has blamed poor preparations for the unconvincing start and he expects the fine-tuning to go well into September.

"We have a lot of work to do,'' he said.

"We had a really staggered preparation after the European championship,'' Klinsmann said Tuesday.

Germany players, such as Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski, reported to the camp nearly three weeks late after taking vacation.

"There is little coordination between different sections of the team,'' Klinsmann said.

Klinsmann inherits a virtually intact squad boosted by the arrival of Germany midfielder Tim Borowski on a free transfer from Werder Bremen.

Michael Rensing steps in for longtime captain and goalkeeper Oliver Kahn, who has retired.

It won't be long before Klinsmann feels the heat.

"He has to get the team to play successful, good football, as we are used to,'' Bayern chairman Franz Beckenbauer said.

"The club has done everything to make his job comfortable.''

"Juergen has turned many things upside down, now we need the results.

Otherwise the changes and the investment are useless,'' Beckenbauer said.

General manager Uli Hoeness said the "pressure was higher than ever.''

"The public expects us not only to collect points but to play great every game,'' Hoeness said.

The arrival of new coaches has overshadowed the interest in new players.

Hamburg has former Tottenham coach Martin Jol, who will have to compensate for the departure of playmaker Rafael van der Vaart for Real Madrid.

Schalke also has a new Dutch coach, Fred Rutten, and has signed Peru striker Jefferson Farfan and Netherlands midfielder Orlando Engelaar.

Brazil's Rafinha is at Olympics and will miss the start.

Runner-up Werder Bremen has released more players than it has signed and may add another striker before the transfer period ends.

Playmaker Diego is also at the Olympics.

Wolfsburg's ambitions have been underlined by the addition of the pair of Italian defenders, Andrea Barzagli and Cristian Zaccardo, and coach Felix Magath wants to team to become one of Bundesliga's top sides.

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