Jürgen Klinsmann is no stranger to big stages and after a career like he has had, there’s no surprise that the DFB has rewarded him with the title of Honorary Captain of the national team at their headquarters in Erfurt. A special award, which only six other people have ever been given.
With a long trip behind him, Klinsmann arrived from the USA in Erfurt with his wife Debbie to attend the event. The guest who gave a speech about him was none other than the chancellor of Germany, Dr. Angela Merkel, and although she did not have to travel quite as far as the award winner, her attendance emphasised what a special athlete and person the 52 year old is. In her speech, she of course heaped praise on the former Die Mannschaft player and head coach, the pair have known each other for years and share a particularly great memory together – the 2006 World Cup.
Merkel: "You're a wonderful role model"
In Erfurt, Angela Merkel fondly recalled the World Cup in her home nation a decade ago, when Klinsmann was the head coach and achieved a third-place finish with his nation. “You, Mr Klinsmann and the whole national team, didn’t just captivate Germany as a footballing nation, but as a nation as a whole, and your name is bound to this experience. You completely deserve this award,” said Merkel, as she also acknowledged his role in carving the path to the triumph in Brazil 2014. “You’re a fantastic sportsman, hugely popular and a wonderful role model even outside of football.”
The guests at the event stood up and applauded the seventh winner of the award as he walked onto the stage and embraced Merkel, he stated that receiving the award was an “unbelievable and unforgettable moment.” On an individual level, he has already achieved so much in his career, for example being named Footballer of the Year in two countries where he plied his trade. However, in his opinion, “it doesn’t get much better than this.” He also repaid compliments to Merkel, joking that he wouldn’t mind taking her back to America with him, to be the new president.
While the first part of his speech was about Merkel, Klinsmann dedicated the second part to one of his footballing mentors. He first wore the DFB jersey at the age of 15 when his coach was Berti Vogts. 16 years later he became European Champion under the guidance of the same man and Klinsmann thanked his former U16s coach for always sticking by him, “even if I hadn’t scored for weeks.” He also looked back to 2006 when he was in charge of the national team himself at a home World Cup finals. “I’ll remember these emotions forever,” he noted, just as the memories of his time as a Germany international will.
He played 108 times for Die Mannschaft, scoring 47 and captaining the team on 36 occasions but he almost missed his most important game of his life for his country. At the European Championships in 1996, Klinsmann suffered a pulled calf and was forced to sit out the semi-final against England. In the press conference before the final, Berti Vogts revealed that there was a 99 per cent chance he wouldn’t be able to play. However, he was treated day and night and underwent tests before the big match and team doctor Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt finally gave the green light for him to play. That evening he became a European Champion, as Queen Elizabeth II handed him the trophy.
It was Klinsmann’s first tournament as captain but his second major title with Germany. Six years earlier he won the World Cup and until today, his performance in the round of 16 against the Netherlands is unforgettable, as he played the game of his life as the lone striker after Rudi Völler’s dismissal.
The other Honorary Captains are:
Franz Beckenbauer
Lothar Matthäus
Birgit Prinz
Uwe Seeler
Fritz Walter
Bettina Wiegmann