German Federation give Klinsmann share of Euro credit

Jurgen Klinsmann took his place as a spectator at the final of Euro 2008 here on Sunday in the knowledge that the German Federation credit him with laying the foundations of Die Mannschaft's new rise to prominence.

Klinsmann took the Germans to third at the last World Cup on home soil playing an exuberant and entertaining brand of football before handing on to his assistant Joachim Loew, who has kept the revolution going and taken the Germans to the next level.

The German Football Federation (DFB) invited Klinsmann to the Ernst-Happel Stadion in recognition of his previous work before handing over the reins to Loew and the former Stuttgart, Inter Milan, Tottenham and Bayern Munich striker duly took his seat in the VIP stand.

“Is is also his final,” said DFB president Theo Zwanziger.

“Jurgen Klinsmann has played an enormous part in the development of this team. Since 2004, after a catastrophic Euro 2004, we have set new things in place,” he added.

Klinsmann had until Sunday avoided watching German matches at Euro 2008 in situ to avoid having the voracious media focus on him rather than his successor.

The 43-year-old's only previous attendance at a Germany match since stepping down was in August last year when he witnessed a friendly win over England in London.

Klinsman, who said that Loew was “always more than just an assistant” at the World Cup, won the world title as a player in 1990 and also Euro 96, Germany's last title ahead of Sunday, when the Germans were looking to deny Spain.

On Monday, “Klinsi” will take up his new post as coach of Bayern Munich.