Latest news with #Klinsmann
Daily Mirror
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Spurs legend Klinsmann makes Postecoglou prediction ahead of Europa League final
Tottenham have travelled to Bilbao for their huge Europa League final against Manchester United on Wednesday night, with the club desperate to end their 17-year wait for silverware Tottenham legend Jurgen Klinsmann believes the Europa League Final could be the game that makes or breaks Ange Postecoglou. Spurs face Manchester United in Bilbao on Wednesday night with a place in next season's Champions League up for grabs. Both Postecoglou and Reds' boss Ruben Amorim will finish the Premier League campaign in the lower reaches of the table after suffering defeats at Aston Villa and Chelsea respectively on Friday night. And Klinsmann said: 'It's such an interesting game because both clubs have been so disappointing in the Premier League this season. Of course it is an important moment for both clubs because there is a place in the Champions League for the winners. "But it is also a huge game for both managers - and especially Ange. I think Amorim will be given more time to establish his own team at United, but for Postecoglou it is clear that he is in a completely different position at the end of his second year. "If he wins the Europa League then I hope it will buy him more time to get things right because I know that Spurs is such a fantastic club. 'There is so much on the line in this final and because the teams have been so inconsistent, it's impossible to predict what would happen.' Klinsmann became a Premier League pioneer in the one season he spent at White Hart Lane before blazing the trail that would eventually be followed by Harry Kane by joining Bayern Munich in 1995. Like Kane, he left to win trophies - and both men have a Bundesliga title medal after Bayern clinched the title last weekend. Tottenham have won just two League Cups in the 30 years since the German World Cup star was in London. And Klinsmann said: "This is such a massive opportunity for Spurs. First of all then can end that long wait for a trophy - and that would open the door for the Champions League. There is also the added factor that they can win a trophy during a season when Arsenal haven't won anything. "Look, Arsenal are a much better team than Spurs. But football is about those moments when you see your team win something, so this is a huge deal in North London." Spurs are currently 17th in the Premier League table after 21 defeats and they come into the final following a run of five defeats in their last six Premier League games. Manchester United, meanwhile have won just once in their last eight league games, losing six of those ahead of their trip to Bilbao.
News.com.au
01-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Germany's 'absolutely insane' second tier rivalling Europe's best
Driven by huge crowds, unpredictable results and some of Germany's biggest clubs including Hamburg and Schalke, the Bundesliga 2 broke through the billion-euro revenue barrier last season to become Europe's wealthiest second division. According to figures from the German Football Leagues (DFL), midway through the 2024-25 season, the second-tier average attendance of 30,329 was greater than the Spanish and French first divisions. La Liga games averaged crowds of 29,875 with those in France's Ligue 1 attracting 27,173 spectators per game. On one matchday in February 2024, the Bundesliga 2 averaged more fans than the German top flight -- the best attended of any football league in the world -- for the first time, a feat which has since been repeated on several occasions. World Cup-winning striker Jurgen Klinsmann played 61 games in the German second division for Stuttgarter Kickers, scoring 22 times, before moving to first-division rivals Stuttgart. Now living in California, Klinsmann still keeps up with the German second division, calling the atmosphere "absolutely insane". "The second Bundesliga is really fun to watch," Klinsmann told AFP from his Los Angeles home. "I watch it quite a lot." - 'Completely unpredictable' - In the 2023-24 season, the total revenue of the 18-team Bundesliga 2 crossed the one billion euro ($1.14 billion) mark for the first time, easily generating more money than any other second-division league. The Championship, the 24-team English second tier, made £749 million (875 million euros) in 2022-23, the last season for which figures are available. With 947 goals scored last season in the German second division, the most in 22 years, fans get plenty of bang for their buck. In the Bundesliga, Bayern are on course for their 12th title in the past 13 seasons. In the Bundesliga 2, there have been 10 different champions in the past decade. Manu Veth, a Canadian-German journalist for Forbes and Transfermarkt, told AFP "the football is very good and the league is completely unpredictable," but also cited structural factors in football-mad Germany. "Germany is Europe's most populous country with the largest economy by a big margin. With just 18 clubs (in the top flight), big clubs from major cities are stuck in the lower divisions." Hamburg and Schalke are joined in the second division by Cologne, Nuremberg, Kaiserslautern, Hertha Berlin, Hannover and Fortuna Duesseldorf -- all former German champions who retain huge followings despite falling on harder times. David Wagner, who coached Norwich City to a Premier League promotion as well as German giants Schalke, said the big names have boosted the second division's popularity. "We've had a Bundesliga 2 season which perhaps we've never had before," Wagner told AFP. "With so many big, big clubs." - 'Enjoy the ride' - Klinsmann said fan loyalty among relegated clubs was also a major factor. "Over the past 10 years, the second league became so interesting and so popular. You have these traditional powerhouses, who for whatever reasons got relegated, which of course is a disaster for them. "But they have a fan base from over 100 years who sticks with them and is there for them. The identification with the teams is still so high, that fans just kind of enjoy the ride in the second Bundesliga." Klinsmann, who also played in England, Italy, France and the United States, said the culture was unique in Germany. "I compare it to the Serie B, the Italian second league, because my son (Jonathan) plays for Cesena," he said. "They also have bigger teams who were in the first (division), but they don't have that fascinating aspect that the stadiums are packed still even if they're one league lower. "But in Germany, the phenomenon is that even if you get relegated, the fans stick with them." Veth agreed. "Fans in Germany are very loyal and they seem to come out in big numbers when clubs need them," he said.
Herald Sun
01-05-2025
- Business
- Herald Sun
Germany's 'absolutely insane' second tier rivalling Europe's best
Don't miss out on the headlines from Breaking News. Followed categories will be added to My News. Driven by huge crowds, unpredictable results and some of Germany's biggest clubs including Hamburg and Schalke, the Bundesliga 2 broke through the billion-euro revenue barrier last season to become Europe's wealthiest second division. According to figures from the German Football Leagues (DFL), midway through the 2024-25 season, the second-tier average attendance of 30,329 was greater than the Spanish and French first divisions. La Liga games averaged crowds of 29,875 with those in France's Ligue 1 attracting 27,173 spectators per game. On one matchday in February 2024, the Bundesliga 2 averaged more fans than the German top flight -- the best attended of any football league in the world -- for the first time, a feat which has since been repeated on several occasions. World Cup-winning striker Jurgen Klinsmann played 61 games in the German second division for Stuttgarter Kickers, scoring 22 times, before moving to first-division rivals Stuttgart. Now living in California, Klinsmann still keeps up with the German second division, calling the atmosphere "absolutely insane". "The second Bundesliga is really fun to watch," Klinsmann told AFP from his Los Angeles home. "I watch it quite a lot." - 'Completely unpredictable' - In the 2023-24 season, the total revenue of the 18-team Bundesliga 2 crossed the one billion euro ($1.14 billion) mark for the first time, easily generating more money than any other second-division league. The Championship, the 24-team English second tier, made £749 million (875 million euros) in 2022-23, the last season for which figures are available. With 947 goals scored last season in the German second division, the most in 22 years, fans get plenty of bang for their buck. In the Bundesliga, Bayern are on course for their 12th title in the past 13 seasons. In the Bundesliga 2, there have been 10 different champions in the past decade. Manu Veth, a Canadian-German journalist for Forbes and Transfermarkt, told AFP "the football is very good and the league is completely unpredictable," but also cited structural factors in football-mad Germany. "Germany is Europe's most populous country with the largest economy by a big margin. With just 18 clubs (in the top flight), big clubs from major cities are stuck in the lower divisions." Hamburg and Schalke are joined in the second division by Cologne, Nuremberg, Kaiserslautern, Hertha Berlin, Hannover and Fortuna Duesseldorf -- all former German champions who retain huge followings despite falling on harder times. David Wagner, who coached Norwich City to a Premier League promotion as well as German giants Schalke, said the big names have boosted the second division's popularity. "We've had a Bundesliga 2 season which perhaps we've never had before," Wagner told AFP. "With so many big, big clubs." - 'Enjoy the ride' - Klinsmann said fan loyalty among relegated clubs was also a major factor. "Over the past 10 years, the second league became so interesting and so popular. You have these traditional powerhouses, who for whatever reasons got relegated, which of course is a disaster for them. "But they have a fan base from over 100 years who sticks with them and is there for them. The identification with the teams is still so high, that fans just kind of enjoy the ride in the second Bundesliga." Klinsmann, who also played in England, Italy, France and the United States, said the culture was unique in Germany. "I compare it to the Serie B, the Italian second league, because my son (Jonathan) plays for Cesena," he said. "They also have bigger teams who were in the first (division), but they don't have that fascinating aspect that the stadiums are packed still even if they're one league lower. "But in Germany, the phenomenon is that even if you get relegated, the fans stick with them." Veth agreed. "Fans in Germany are very loyal and they seem to come out in big numbers when clubs need them," he said. "Clubs are community or membership owned. That means they are embedded in the local communities and that creates momentum when times are tough." dwi/mw Originally published as Germany's 'absolutely insane' second tier rivalling Europe's best
Malay Mail
01-05-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
‘Absolutely insane': Germany's second division outdraws La Liga, smashes €1b barrier
BERLIN, May 1 — Driven by huge crowds, unpredictable results and some of Germany's biggest clubs including Hamburg and Schalke, the Bundesliga 2 broke through the billion-euro revenue barrier last season to become Europe's wealthiest second division. According to figures from the German Football Leagues (DFL), midway through the 2024-25 season, the second-tier average attendance of 30,329 was greater than the Spanish and French first divisions. La Liga games averaged crowds of 29,875 with those in France's Ligue 1 attracting 27,173 spectators per game. On one matchday in February 2024, the Bundesliga 2 averaged more fans than the German top flight — the best attended of any football league in the world — for the first time, a feat which has since been repeated on several occasions. World Cup-winning striker Jurgen Klinsmann played 61 games in the German second division for Stuttgarter Kickers, scoring 22 times, before moving to first-division rivals Stuttgart. Now living in California, Klinsmann still keeps up with the German second division, calling the atmosphere 'absolutely insane'. 'The second Bundesliga is really fun to watch,' Klinsmann told AFP from his Los Angeles home. 'I watch it quite a lot.' 'Completely unpredictable' In the 2023-24 season, the total revenue of the 18-team Bundesliga 2 crossed the €1 billion (RM4.87 billion) mark for the first time, easily generating more money than any other second-division league. The Championship, the 24-team English second tier, made £749 million in 2022-23, the last season for which figures are available. With 947 goals scored last season in the German second division, the most in 22 years, fans get plenty of bang for their buck. In the Bundesliga, Bayern are on course for their 12th title in the past 13 seasons. In the Bundesliga 2, there have been 10 different champions in the past decade. Manu Veth, a Canadian-German journalist for Forbes and Transfermarkt, told AFP 'the football is very good and the league is completely unpredictable,' but also cited structural factors in football-mad Germany. 'Germany is Europe's most populous country with the largest economy by a big margin. With just 18 clubs (in the top flight), big clubs from major cities are stuck in the lower divisions.' Hamburg and Schalke are joined in the second division by Cologne, Nuremberg, Kaiserslautern, Hertha Berlin, Hannover and Fortuna Duesseldorf — all former German champions who retain huge followings despite falling on harder times. David Wagner, who coached Norwich City to a Premier League promotion as well as German giants Schalke, said the big names have boosted the second division's popularity. 'We've had a Bundesliga 2 season which perhaps we've never had before,' Wagner told AFP. 'With so many big, big clubs.' 'Enjoy the ride' Klinsmann said fan loyalty among relegated clubs was also a major factor. 'Over the past 10 years, the second league became so interesting and so popular. You have these traditional powerhouses, who for whatever reasons got relegated, which of course is a disaster for them. 'But they have a fan base from over 100 years who sticks with them and is there for them. The identification with the teams is still so high, that fans just kind of enjoy the ride in the second Bundesliga.' Klinsmann, who also played in England, Italy, France and the United States, said the culture was unique in Germany. 'I compare it to the Serie B, the Italian second league, because my son (Jonathan) plays for Cesena,' he said. 'They also have bigger teams who were in the first (division), but they don't have that fascinating aspect that the stadiums are packed still even if they're one league lower. 'But in Germany, the phenomenon is that even if you get relegated, the fans stick with them.' Veth agreed. 'Fans in Germany are very loyal and they seem to come out in big numbers when clubs need them,' he said. 'Clubs are community or membership owned. That means they are embedded in the local communities and that creates momentum when times are tough.' — AFP
Int'l Business Times
01-05-2025
- Business
- Int'l Business Times
Germany's 'Absolutely Insane' Second Tier Rivalling Europe's Best
Driven by huge crowds, unpredictable results and some of Germany's biggest clubs including Hamburg and Schalke, the Bundesliga 2 broke through the billion-euro revenue barrier last season to become Europe's wealthiest second division. According to figures from the German Football Leagues (DFL), midway through the 2024-25 season, the second-tier average attendance of 30,329 was greater than the Spanish and French first divisions. La Liga games averaged crowds of 29,875 with those in France's Ligue 1 attracting 27,173 spectators per game. On one matchday in February 2024, the Bundesliga 2 averaged more fans than the German top flight -- the best attended of any football league in the world -- for the first time, a feat which has since been repeated on several occasions. World Cup-winning striker Jurgen Klinsmann played 61 games in the German second division for Stuttgarter Kickers, scoring 22 times, before moving to first-division rivals Stuttgart. Now living in California, Klinsmann still keeps up with the German second division, calling the atmosphere "absolutely insane". "The second Bundesliga is really fun to watch," Klinsmann told AFP from his Los Angeles home. "I watch it quite a lot." In the 2023-24 season, the total revenue of the 18-team Bundesliga 2 crossed the one billion euro ($1.14 billion) mark for the first time, easily generating more money than any other second-division league. The Championship, the 24-team English second tier, made GBP749 million (875 million euros) in 2022-23, the last season for which figures are available. With 947 goals scored last season in the German second division, the most in 22 years, fans get plenty of bang for their buck. In the Bundesliga, Bayern are on course for their 12th title in the past 13 seasons. In the Bundesliga 2, there have been 10 different champions in the past decade. Manu Veth, a Canadian-German journalist for Forbes and Transfermarkt, told AFP "the football is very good and the league is completely unpredictable," but also cited structural factors in football-mad Germany. "Germany is Europe's most populous country with the largest economy by a big margin. With just 18 clubs (in the top flight), big clubs from major cities are stuck in the lower divisions." Hamburg and Schalke are joined in the second division by Cologne, Nuremberg, Kaiserslautern, Hertha Berlin, Hannover and Fortuna Duesseldorf -- all former German champions who retain huge followings despite falling on harder times. David Wagner, who coached Norwich City to a Premier League promotion as well as German giants Schalke, said the big names have boosted the second division's popularity. "We've had a Bundesliga 2 season which perhaps we've never had before," Wagner told AFP. "With so many big, big clubs." Klinsmann said fan loyalty among relegated clubs was also a major factor. "Over the past 10 years, the second league became so interesting and so popular. You have these traditional powerhouses, who for whatever reasons got relegated, which of course is a disaster for them. "But they have a fan base from over 100 years who sticks with them and is there for them. The identification with the teams is still so high, that fans just kind of enjoy the ride in the second Bundesliga." Klinsmann, who also played in England, Italy, France and the United States, said the culture was unique in Germany. "I compare it to the Serie B, the Italian second league, because my son (Jonathan) plays for Cesena," he said. "They also have bigger teams who were in the first (division), but they don't have that fascinating aspect that the stadiums are packed still even if they're one league lower. "But in Germany, the phenomenon is that even if you get relegated, the fans stick with them." Veth agreed. "Fans in Germany are very loyal and they seem to come out in big numbers when clubs need them," he said. "Clubs are community or membership owned. That means they are embedded in the local communities and that creates momentum when times are tough." Supporters of German second-division side Magdeburg hold up fan scarves in a match against Hertha Berlin in April AFP FC Magdeburg, who won the 1973-74 Cup Winners' Cup, are another of the German second division's main drawcards AFP
