GERMANY: HOLGER OSIECK TURNS DOWN JOB TO ASSIST NEW GERMAN FOOTBALL TEAM COACH JUERGEN KLINSMANN
Record ID:
646956
GERMANY: HOLGER OSIECK TURNS DOWN JOB TO ASSIST NEW GERMAN FOOTBALL TEAM COACH JUERGEN KLINSMANN
- Title: GERMANY: HOLGER OSIECK TURNS DOWN JOB TO ASSIST NEW GERMAN FOOTBALL TEAM COACH JUERGEN KLINSMANN
- Date: 28th July 2004
- Summary: FRANKFURT, GERMANY (JULY 28, 2004) 1. LOGO ON GERMAN FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION (DFB) HEADQUARTERS 2. FORMER PLAYER AND POSSIBLE NEW GERMANY MANAGER OLIVER BIERHOFF GETTING OUT OF CAR 3. DFB LOGO 4. (SOUNDBITE) (German) POSSIBLE NEW GERMANY MANAGER OLIVER BIERHOFF SAYING OF HOLGER OSIECK'S DECISION NOT TO BECOME ASSISTANT COACH TO JUERGEN KLINSMANN: "I won't say anything yet. First I'll hold talks and then you will receive more information" 5. BIERHOFF ENTERING DFB HEADQUARTERS 6. (SOUNDBITE) (German) ACTING DFB PRESIDENT THEO ZWANZIGER SAYING: "All I can say is that it is very, very important for German football that concepts, contents and the people involved correspond with each other. We are working on this and I believe we can present a result to you tomorrow" 7. ZWANZIGER WALKING INTO BUILDING (JOURNALISTS BARRED) 8. BIERHOFF AND ZWANZIGER SHAKING HANDS INSIDE 9. BIERHOFF AND ZWANZIGER WALKING UP STAIRS 10. (SOUNDBITE) (German) DFB SPOKESMAN GERHARD MEIER-ROEHN SAYING OF OSIECK: "Sure, his refusal came as a surprise. We assumed there would be a happy ending, but this is unfortunately not the case and we have to accept and respect that. As to the reasons, I can't say anything yet" 11. DFB LOGO 12. (SOUNDBITE) (German) DFB SPOKESMAN GERHARD MEIER-ROEHN SAYING: "We will continue to look for a co-trainer and we hope to be successful very soon. Then we will inform everyone" INTERVIEWER OFF CAMERA: "Which names?" MEIER-ROEHN: "I know of no names. For the moment, I don't know yet" INTERVIEWER OFF CAMERA: "What is the situation with Oliver Bierhoff?" MEIER-ROEHN: "Oliver Bierhoff is still in negotiations so we don't have any result yet but we do hope there will be a happy ending" 13. CAMERA CREW OUTSIDE DFB HEADQUARTERS Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 12th August 2004 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: FRANKFURT, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Reuters ID: LVADXVU7C5ZSFDE5WVQMEOMBO8WS
- Story Text:
In a further blow to German national soccer, Holger
Osieck has turned down an offer to assist new Germany coach
Juergen Klinsmann, it was revealed on Wednesday (July 28).
Klinsmann and Osieck, who was Franz Beckenbauer's
deputy during Germany's 1990 World Cup-winning campaign,
failed to reach an agreement over a collaboration, the
German Football Association (DFB) announced.
Under the original plan, former Germany striker Oliver
Bierhoff would become team manager. He arrived at DFB
headquarters in Frankfurt on Wednesday but declined to
comment.
It was not immediately known exactly why Osieck, who
has built a friendly relationship with Klinsmann over the
years, decided not to work with the former Germany striker
and captain. It seemed likely that Osieck could not accept
Klinsmann's plans, which include forming a group of
specialists around the team dealing with everything from
tactics to psychology.
Acting DFB president Theo Zwanziger said on Wednesday:
"All I can say is that it is very, very important for German football
that concepts, contents and the people involved correspond with each other.
We are working on this and I believe we can present a result to you tomorrow."
The news shatters DFB's plan to appoint Klinsmann as
head coach and the 55-year-old Osieck as assistant coach,
which was believed to be finalised. The DFB were keen to
have Osieck, who is also a former Canada coach and has
worked for FIFA, bringing his technical expertise to
Klinsmann, who has no coaching experience.
DFB spokesman Gerhard Meier-Roehn said on Wednesday of
Osieck's decision: "Sure, his refusal came as a surprise.
We assumed there would be a happy ending, but this is
unfortunately not the case and we have to accept and
respect that. As to the reasons, I can't say anything yet."
Meier-Roehn said the DFB would continue looking for
suitable candidates. He also said that Bierhoff was still
in negotiations "but we do hope there will be a happy
ending."
A final announcement on the new leadership of the
national team was expected on Thursday, with a trio led by
Klinsmann still the most likely scenario.
Former VfB Stuttgart Ralf Rangnick, a close Klinsmann
friend, was regarded as the favourite to step in for
Osieck.
Klinsmann agreed to coach Germany until after the 2006
World Cup on home soil, replacing Rudi Voeller, who quit
last month after Germany failed to survive the group stage
of Euro 2004.
The 39-year-old Klinsmann, who has been living in the
United States since ending his playing career in 1998, was
considered only after Ottmar Hitzfeld and Otto Rehhagel
turned down the job.
The DFB need to find a solution quickly with no time to
waste with a friendly against Austria next month coming up.
Holger Osieck has turned down an offer to assist Juergen
Klinsmann as Germany coach in a further blow to German
soccer chiefs in their struggle to find a new leadership for the
national team.
"His refusal came as a surprise", a spokesman for
Germanys Football Association (DFB) told reporters outside DFB
headquarters in Frankfurt on Wednesday (July 28).
"We assumed there would be a happy ending but this is
unfortunately not the case and we have to accept and respect
that. As to the reasons, I cant say anything yet", spokesman
Gerhard Meier-Roehn said.
Klinsmann and Osieck, who was head coach Franz
Beckenbauers deputy during Germanys 1990 World Cup-winning
campaign, failed to reach an agreement over a collaboration, the DFB said in
a statement on Wednesday.
The DFB said the talks between the pair on Tuesday had
taken place in a "relaxed and constructive atmosphere" but had
ended with the two agreeing they could not work together.
It was not immediately known exactly why Osieck, who has
built a friendly relationship with Klinsmann over the years,
eventually decided not to work with the former Germany
striker and captain.
It seemed likely that Osieck could not accept Klinsmanns
revolutionary plans including forming a group of specialists
around the national team dealing with everything from
tactics to psychology.
The news shatters DFBs plan to appoint Klinsmann as head
coach and the 55-year-old Osieck as assistant coach, which was
believed to be finalised.
The DFB were keen to have Osieck, who is also a former
Canada coach and has worked for FIFA, bringing his technical
expertise to Klinsmann, who has no coaching experience.
Under the original plan, Germany striker Oliver Bierhoff
would have also played a role, as team manager.
A final announcement on the new leadership of the
national team was expected for Thursday, with a trio led by Klinsmann
still the most likely scenario.
Former VfB Stuttgart Ralf Rangnick, a close Klinsmann
friend, was regarded as the favourites to step in for
Osieck Klinsmann agreed to coach Germany until after the 2006
World Cup on home soil, replacing Rudi Voeller, who stepped down
last month after Germany failed to survive the group stage of
Euro 2004.
The 39-year-old Klinsmann, who has been living in the
United States since ending his playing career in 1998, was
considered only after Ottmar Hitzfeld and Otto Rehhagel turned down
the job.
The DFB need to find a solution quickly with no time to
waste before the 2006 finals and a friendly against Austria
next month coming up.
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