Klinsmann
WASHINGTON (Reuters):
FORMER GERMANY coach Juergen Klinsmann will be included on the list of candidates to succeed Bruce Arena as coach of the United States soccer team, officials said on Friday.
Klinsmann, who lives in California, stepped down this week after two years with the German national side saying he wanted to spend time with his family.
"He's somebody that is a very interesting coach that lives in America that has expressed desire to remain in America, so I'm sure we'll talk," US Soccer president Sunil Gulati said. "Whether we'll talk seriously about this, we'll see.
"He's played at a very high level, he's now been very successful with the German team, he has a much better handle on the American soccer scene than someone who hasn't spent time here and, most importantly, he's a very inquisitive guy," Gulati said.
Gulati announced on Friday that Arena's contract would not be renewed after eight years in charge. The move came on the heels of a first-round exit by the US squad at the 2006 World Cup.
Germany finished third as hosts of the tournament.
The search for a coach would be worldwide, although Gulati did not rule out hiring an American.
"We are not restricting ourselves to anyone with an American passport or anyone that currently resides in the US," he said. "We will look for the best possible person for our programme. Having said that, I think there is a big advantage to knowing something about the American setup.
"We're in a situation where we have more resources than we've had in the past, we're not going to spend those resources foolishly, but we will find the best person we can, or the best people, to coach our team and to lead the national team programme."
