Miroslav Klose became world champion in 2014 and has known Joachim Löw since 2004. At the farewell to the national coach, Klose talks about his achievements, he remembers speeches in the cabin in Brazil – and he explains the situations in which Löw felt uncomfortable.
Interview by
Christof Kneer and Philipp Selldorf
It won’t be long before he is seen as head coach, says Miroslav Klose, 43. He will bring the best references into the job, with 71 goals he is the record scorer of the German national team, 2014 world champion and he has been with him in his career worked by some top-class coaches. He was particularly influenced, says Klose, by Hansi Flick, whom he was able to assist as assistant coach at FC Bayern for a year. And of course Joachim Löw. Klose knows Löw better than almost any other national player, he has seen the long-time national coach, who will be formally adopted this Thursday on the sidelines of the World Cup qualifier against Liechtenstein in Wolfsburg, at the DFB from day one. In the SZ interview, Klose takes stock of the Löw era, he explains what Löw’s human nature has to do with his professionalism – and when the national coach escaped to smoke one.