Former Germany player and coach Jurgen Klinsmann was on Monday fired as coach of the US after losing two 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches.
The 52-year-old, who won the World Cup as a player with Germany in 1990, had been in charge of the US since 2011.
US Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati announced the “difficult decision” without naming a replacement. The US do not face another World Cup qualifier until March.
“While we remain confident that we have quality players to help us advance to Russia 2018, the form and growth of the team up to this point left us convinced that we need to go in a different direction,” Gulati said. “With the next qualifying match in late March, we have several months to refocus the group and determine the best way forward to ensure a successful journey to qualify for our eighth consecutive World Cup.”
Klinsmann went 55-27 with 16 matches drawn in a coaching tenure that began on July 29, 2011, when Gulati named him to replace Bob Bradley.
“We want to thank Jurgen for his hard work and commitment during these last five years,” Gulati said. “He took pride in having the responsibility of steering the program and there were considerable achievements along the way.”
Klinsmann guided the US to a record 12-match winning streak in 2013 and his 16 triumphs that year set a US calendar-year record, but the US were a disappointing fourth in last year’s Gold Cup and also lost a playoff to Mexico for a berth at next year’s FIFA Confederations Cup.
Earlier this month, the US stumbled badly in the final round of North American qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, falling 2-1 at home to Mexico and 4-0 away to Costa Rica.
In a New York Times article published on Monday, Klinsmann dismissed much of the criticism as “a lot of talk from people who don’t understand soccer or the team,” while saying critics were “ignoring the facts” and “being disrespectful.”
Los Angeles Galaxy coach Bruce Arena is thought to be the prime candidate to replace Klinsmann. The 65-year-old American coached the US team to the 2002 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals and guided a 2006 US lineup that exited in the group stages.
Gulati sang Klinsmann’s praises even as he swung the axe, saying the German legend’s legacy would have a long-term impact.
“Many are aware of the historic victories, including leading us out of the Group of Death to the round-of-16 in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, but there were also lesser publicized efforts behind the scenes,” Gulati said. “He challenged everyone in the US Soccer community to think about things in new ways, and thanks to his efforts we have grown as an organization and expect there will be benefits from his work for years to come.”
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