The End of Uncertainness

It is done. The media have finally got their booties today. After exactly 300 days of Klinsmania in Munich and its associated uncertainness the Bayern management axed the head coach this morning. ‘The aspired goals of the club were highly at risk’ chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenige illustrated, while manager Uli Hoeneß explained that Klinsmann lost all of the decisive games this season. A big relief for the Bavarian fans who never really accepted the Swabian from the beginning, demanding his replacement emphatically for a couple of months now. Former Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes who trained the club from 1987 until 1991 takes over for the last five Bundesliga games trying to accomplish the minimum goal by winning the championship.

Being a bit of a Klinsmann supporter myself, I somehow have to defend that always in a Tom Cruise kind of way grinning man a bit by accusing the players. They let him down. Of course, he made some unfortunate decisions, leaving captain van Bommel out of the starting eleven, introducing Landon Donovan, breaking promises towards Rensing or van Buyten or having puzzling issues for everybody with his former fair-haired boy Lukas Podolski. But apparently only the team knows what had happened between them and their coach. Still, this is no excuse to lose the important and decisive games in an embarrassing and humiliating kind of way. But with Klinsmann being dismissed, the alibis and the opportunity to hide behind the coach have left the club, too.

The succession of Jupp Heynckes is another golden opportunity not only for the German but for the European media. The British Daily Mail claimed today that Bayern managers have talked with Arsenal coach Arsène Wenger already, having the Bayern management denying it immediately. Thank God we have something to read again in the next couple of weeks.

And Klinsmann? I would be surprised if Schalke’s board of management had not already called the sunny boy. His introduction as the new Schalke head coach is only a matter of form and will be held at Schalke later this week. And maybe even together with his best buddy, Stuttgart goalkeeper and in addition studied economist Jens Lehmann as the new Schalke manager…?

Oh, and by the way, because the media and everybody else in this country is focusing on the new Bayern coach and his upcoming successor in summer, it is perfectly clear that Wolfsburg will be the new German Champion while enjoying being off the beaten track.