Jurgen Klinsmann Biography: Net Worth, Age, Career, Records, Family, Achievements!

Jurgen Klinsmann is a legendary German footballer and manager who played as a striker. He represented major clubs like Inter Milan, Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich during an illustrious playing career spanning nearly two decades. Klinsmann also managed the national teams of Germany and the United States.

Klinsmann is one of the greatest goalscorers in German football history, having scored 47 goals in 108 appearances for the German national team. He was part of the West German squad that won the 1990 FIFA World Cup and was twice named German Footballer of the Year.

Net Worth and Salary

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Jurgen Klinsmann’s net worth is estimated to be around $16 million as of 2023.

During his playing career, Klinsmann earned lucrative salaries at clubs like Inter Milan, Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich. His peak annual salary was around $5-6 million during his final seasons with Bayern Munich in the early 2000s.

As a manager, Klinsmann earned around $2.5 million per year while coaching the US Men’s National Team from 2011 to 2016. He likely had a similar salary during his one season stint as manager of Bayern Munich in 2008-09.

Klinsmann has earned additional income through endorsement deals with brands like Puma, Volkswagen, Danone and Diamond Foods. Overall, lucrative playing contracts, coaching salaries and endorsements have resulted in Klinsmann accumulating a sizeable net worth.

Early Life and Beginnings

Jurgen Klinsmann was born on 30 July 1964 in Goppingen, West Germany. His father Siegfried was a baker and his mother Martha was a housewife.

Klinsmann developed a love for football at an early age and joined the youth system of a local club called TB Gingen at age eight. He played as a striker and stood out for his speed, athleticism and scoring ability.

By the time he turned 15, Klinsmann had caught the attention of major German clubs like VfB Stuttgart. He signed with Stuttgart in 1981 and continued honing his skills in their youth academy.

Professional Club Career

After spending two seasons in Stuttgart’s youth system, Klinsmann made his professional debut for the club’s senior team in the 1982-83 Bundesliga season at age 18. He made 16 appearances and scored 4 goals in his debut campaign.

Over the next two seasons, Klinsmann became a first team starter at Stuttgart and established himself as a prolific goalscorer in the Bundesliga. He scored 15 goals in the 1984-85 season and 19 goals the following year, leading Stuttgart to a second place league finish.

Inter Milan

In the summer of 1987, Italian club Inter Milan signed Klinsmann for a fee of around $2.5 million. This move saw him link up with German teammates Andreas Brehme, Lothar Matthaus and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

Klinsmann scored 13 goals in his debut season in Italy’s Serie A as Inter finished third. The next season, he netted 14 league goals as Inter won the Scudetto under manager Giovanni Trapattoni. Klinsmann’s most prolific scoring season came in 1992 when he scored 22 goals in Serie A.

During his six seasons at Inter Milan, Klinsmann won the Scudetto, Supercoppa Italiana and the UEFA Cup in 1991. He scored a total of 68 goals in 150 appearances across competitions.

Monaco (Loan)

In 1992, Klinsmann was loaned to French club AS Monaco for the second half of the season. This move was initiated by Inter Milan after Klinsmann had a public dispute with their new coach.

Klinsmann appeared in 15 games for Monaco and scored 9 goals during his brief spell at the French club.

Tottenham Hotspur

In 1994, Klinsmann moved from Inter Milan to English club Tottenham Hotspur in a transfer worth $5.3 million. This was a record fee for Spurs at that time.

Despite initial skepticism from English fans and media about his reputation for diving, Klinsmann impressed in his debut season by scoring 21 goals in 41 games. This included a string of match-winning goals that helped Tottenham finish 7th.

Klinsmann spent just one season at White Hart Lane but his goalscoring feats made him hugely popular among the Tottenham supporters. He was voted as the 1994 Football Writers’ Footballer of the Year.

Bayern Munich

In 1995, Klinsmann returned to Germany as he signed for perennial champions Bayern Munich following his successful stint in England. The transfer fee paid to Tottenham was $15 million, a Bundesliga record at that time.

Klinsmann spent three seasons with Bayern, winning the UEFA Cup (1996) and Bundesliga title (1997). He scored 50 goals in 108 games across competitions during his second spell in German football.

Sabbatical and Retirement

After leaving Bayern Munich in 1997, Klinsmann took a season-long sabbatical to recharge himself mentally and physically while living in California.

He returned to professional football in 1998 with Tottenham Hotspur at age 34. Klinsmann spent one final season in England before announcing his retirement in 1999.

In total, Jurgen Klinsmann scored 226 goals in 506 club appearances during a remarkable 17 year career.

International Career for Germany

Klinsmann made his international debut for West Germany in 1987 at age 22 against Brazil. Later that year, he was part of West Germany’s squad at the 1988 European Championship.

Although he did not score at Euro 1988, Klinsmann started establishing himself as a regular for West Germany.

1990 FIFA World Cup Glory

At the 1990 World Cup hosted by Italy, Klinsmann fully cemented his status as Germany’s first choice striker. He scored 3 goals at the tournament.

West Germany’s World Cup campaign culminated with a dramatic 1-0 win over Argentina in the final. As a result, Klinsmann became a World Champion at just age 25 in what was the peak moment of his international career.

Euro 1992 & 1994 World Cup

Klinsmann featured for a unified German squad at the 1992 Euros and scored 3 goals as they reached the finals before losing unexpectedly to Denmark.

At the 1994 World Cup in the USA, Klinsmann was an ever-present for Germany again with 5 goals. This included a memorable hat-trick against South Korea in a group match. However, Germany were eliminated by Bulgaria at the quarterfinals stage.

Euro 1996 and Final Appearances

The 1996 Euros marked Klinsmann’s third consecutive appearance at a major international tournament. He scored a brace against Croatia but Germany were again undone in the knockout rounds, this time by the Czech Republic.

In total, Klinsmann amassed 47 goals and 108 caps for Germany between 1987 to 1998, making him their fourth highest goalscorer of all time. He played for his country in 17 major internationals across 3 World Cups and 3 Euros.

Coaching Career

Following his retirement as a player in 1998, Klinsmann began his coaching career by obtaining licensing and degrees in the United States and Germany.

In 2004, Klinsmann was surprisingly appointed coach of the German national team to oversee a rebuilding phase after some poor results. At the 2006 World Cup on home soil, he led Germany to a third place finish, restoring pride for die Mannschaft.

But Klinsmann stepped down after the tournament as he was unwilling to commit long-term. But he is credited for shaking up Germany’s tactics, fitness and youth development during his tenure.

Bayern Munich (2008 – 2009)

In 2008, Klinsmann became coach of former club Bayern Munich. But he was sacked before the season ended as Bayern’s form dipped. Klinsmann’s overly attacking tactics and team rotation were unpopular with Bayern’s squad and management.

United States (2011 – 2016)

For his biggest coaching role, Klinsmann took charge of the United States Men’s National Team in 2011. He guided them to the Round of 16 at the 2014 World Cup.

At the 2016 Copa America Centenario, USA reached the semifinals under his management. After five years in charge, Klinsmann was let go in late 2016 after a poor start to their 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign.

Personal Life

Jurgen Klinsmann is married to Debbie Chin, an American model he met while playing in Italy. They have two children together.

Klinsmann has resided primarily in California since moving to the United States in 1998. He has been a prominent figure in promoting football in the country through his playing and coaching efforts.

The striker is fluent in four languages – German, English, Italian and French – which highlight his well-travelled career across Europe.