Jurgen Klinsmann had quashed speculation linking him with taking the vacant managerial position at Sunderland.
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The Black Cats were relegated from the Premier League last season and as they prepare for life in England’s second-tier they are managerless and American owner Ellis Short is still searching for a new owner for the club.
That’s how reports linking former U.S. national team boss Klinsmann to the job emanated, as a German consortium are interested in buying Sunderland.
However, Klinsmann had the following to say on his Facebook page about the Sunderland job.
“No truth on rumors coaching Sunderland FC in the near future,” Klinsmann said.
The 52-year-old German national team legend has kept a pretty low profile since being fired by the USMNT back in November 2016 following two defeats to open up the final round of 2018 World Cup qualifying. His five years in charge of the U.S. had plenty of ups and downs, but you can’t argue with how he helped reorganize the entire structure of U.S. Soccer during his role as Technical Director which coincided with him being head coach of the national team.
Last month Klinsmann was seen in South Korea watching his son, Jonathan, playing in goal for the U.S. U-20 side at the U-20 World Cup, but apart from that he seems no closer to getting back involved in the game via a managerial position.
Klinsmann and his family are settled in Huntington Beach, California and unless and incredible job comes up in Europe or elsewhere in the U.S., it’s tough to see him taking it. The 1990 World Cup winner is constantly linked with every big job which becomes available in England, largely due to his popularity after successful spells at Tottenham Hotspur, but it would be no big surprise if his coaching career was on more than a temporary hiatus.
Major League Soccer’s new franchise in Los Angeles, LAFC, arrive in March 2018 and have yet to hire a new head coach. Given his history with MLS it’s also tough to see Klinsmann getting involved with that franchise. Right now it seems like his future in the soccer world could be in advising clubs or national teams on how to rebuild themselves as he did with Germany ahead of the 2006 World Cup and more recently with the U.S. who have had success at youth national team level.