- From "Swabian Arrow" to "Summer Tales"
Football star Jürgen Klinsmann celebrates his 60th birthday on July 30. He became a legend not only as the coach (2004-2006) of the German national football team around the 2006 World Cup in Germany, the legendary "summer fairy tale". As a player, the son of baker master Siegfried Klinsmann, born in Göppingen, Baden-Württemberg, was already a superstar.
Father of the "Swabian Arrow" comes from the East
In 1982, the then 18-year-old Jürgen Klinsmann became a professional with the Stuttgart Kickers (1981-1984) - he had already completed his baker's apprenticeship in his parents' business. As a successful striker, he was given the nickname "Swabian Arrow" in the 1980s. But "Klinsi", as the fans call him, has roots in East Germany. "I'm 50 percent from the East and 50 percent from the West," Klinsmann said in an interview with the MDR show "Sport in the East". His father was born in Frankfurt/Oder and left the GDR to find his fortune in the West.
Despite this, Jürgen Klinsmann often spent his holidays with his relatives in the then GDR. "I believe that the East Germans have an incredible sense of humor that we simply haven't experienced or been allowed to experience," he raved about the mentality. And about his father, he said: "I was very strongly influenced by my father, who unfortunately passed away a year before the 2006 World Cup."
From Stuttgart Kickers to World Cup winner
After the Kickers, Klinsmann's professional career took him to VfB Stuttgart (1984-1989), Italy (Inter Milan, 1989-1992), Monaco (AS Monaco, 1992-1994), London (Tottenham Hotspur, 1994-1995), and Bayern Munich (1995-1997). He also coached the record champions from 2008 to 2009 - a rather undistinguished chapter, like his stint with Hertha BSC in Berlin (2019-2020).
But back to the great successes that made Klinsmann's fans' hearts beat faster for many years: From 1987 to 1998, he was a national team player, and captain at the major tournaments in 1996 and 1998.
In 1990, he became world champion with the national team and coach Franz Beckenbauer (1945-2024) in Italy. In 1996, Klinsmann and the team around head coach Berti Vogts (77) could celebrate the European Championship title at the tournament in England.
With 108 games in the Germany jersey, Klinsmann is still listed in ninth place among the "record players" by the DFB. In total, he scored 47 goals for the team, which currently places him in fifth place in the "record goal scorers" list - alongside Berti Vogts, incidentally.
The "summer fairy tale" coach
After his playing career, Klinsmann became national coach in 2004. As such, he coached the German national team to third place at the 2006 World Cup.
The documentary "Germany. A summer fairy tale" (2006) by Sönke Wortmann (64) about the so-called home World Cup shows the enthusiasm that Klinsmann, his assistant coach Joachim Löw (64), and their team sparked among football fans - nationally and worldwide. Among other things, the film captures Klinsmann's emotional speeches before each game, Oliver Kahn's (55) mysterious note for goalkeeper Jens Lehmann (54) during the penalty shootout against Argentina, or the sun-drenched, nation-transcending public viewings.
Two days after the end of the World Cup, where Italy emerged victorious, Klinsmann announced that he would not renew his contract as national team coach. His successor was the later World Cup-winning coach (2014) Löw. Klinsmann was honored with the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany by Chancellor Angela Merkel (70) for the "unforgettable" World Cup.
After coaching the German national team, Klinsmann also coached the US national team from 2011 to 2016 and the South Korean team from 2023 to 2024.
American citizen and father of two sports professionals
Since 1995, Jürgen Klinsmann has been married to American model Debbie Chin. The couple has two children and has been living in California since 1998.
Their son, Jonathan Lee Klinsmann, was born in Munich in 1997 and also became a football professional. His current contract as a goalkeeper for the northern Italian club Cesena FC began at the start of the year and ends in the summer of 2026. His first professional station in Berlin at Hertha from 2017 can also be seen on his own social media channel. Jürgen Klinsmann also shared the welcoming photo on his channel and commented, "I am very proud that Jonathan is starting his new adventure!"
A photo on Jonathan's account shows him sitting on the tribune with his famous father. "What are we talking about?", Jonathan asked his followers at the time. Perhaps about his father becoming a coach for the capital club. When that happened, Jonathan Klinsmann moved to Switzerland. From 2019 to 2020, he played for FC St. Gallen and from 2020 to 2024 for LA Galaxy in Los Angeles.
Jürgen Klinsmann and Debbie Chin are also parents to a daughter, Laila Klinsmann, who was born in 2001. She studied graphic design and equine management and is an equestrian. She shares her great passion for these animals and her sport on her Instagram account.
In a joint interview with the magazine "Gala", sports professional Laila said about her famous father: "When I get nervous before a competition, I remember how my father - whether as a coach or player - never showed his nerves or was simply very calm. That focused way of being is what I admire about him."
On his birthday celebrations, Jürgen Klinsmann might reminisce about his time in the German Youth Olympic Team, which he jointly represented with his future daughter Laila. Their shared love for football was evident during their time in the team.
Following his successful stint with various European clubs, Jürgen Klinsmann's fatherly pride would undoubtedly extend to his son Jonathan's football career, starting as a goalkeeper for Hertha BSC, Berlin, a few years after Jürgen's tenure with the same club.
