Soccer Chiefs Demand Klinsmann Meeting
October 14, 2005Bundesliga bosses are demanding a meeting with Germany coach Jürgen Klinsmann, already under fire because he lives in California, because they claim he is persistently ignoring their opinion regarding call ups for national duty. German Football League (DFL) president Werner Hackmann said Friday they have requested an urgent meeting with Klinsmann when he returns to Germany in ten days' time. This follows the failure to set up a meeting after Germany's international friendly win against China in Hamburg midweek, as it did not suit some top flight coaches. Schalke 04 manager Rudi Assauer complained: "Someone absolutely has to talk with Jürgen Klinsmann. There are a lot of grumbles in the Bundesliga. Instead of taking the time to see how each (club) coach is working, he has already flown back to the United States." Officials from both Schalke 04 and Bayern Munich cannot understand why Klinsmann did not wait until Sunday to observe several internationals in action when the teams play each other at Gelsenkirchen. Germany is hosting the World Cup finals next June, and some feel that Klinsmann's insistence on living in California while working as the national coach is damaging their chances of success.