Klinsmann promises TFC blueprint for success

Jurgen Klinsmann is not going to be Toronto FC’s next general manager or their next head coach, but the former German national team standout and coach is creating a blueprint that will allow TFC to find success.

After spending some time understanding the style of game the club wants to play — attacking, counter-attacking, possession-focused — Klinsmann, along with business partner Warren Mersereau, will tap into their “global network” to make suggestions on possible GMs and coaches to fit that style.

“I have a pretty good picture of how best practices work around the world, so I need to understand how things work in Toronto,” said Klinsmann, who played in four European countries — Germany, France, Italy and England — and also coached Germany to a third-place finish at the 2006 World Cup.

By talking to players, management and club officials during his upcoming trips to the city, Klinsmann wants to gain a better understanding of Toronto FC and help the team develop a clear operating philosophy, on and off the field.

Considering TFC has gone through five coaches in four seasons since entering MLS, the team’s fluctuating tactical approach on game days has been a major problem, and Klinsmann is wise to focus his attention on that as his first order of business.

"One element that is very important is, 'What do you stand for, as Toronto FC?' What is the style [of soccer] you prefer? What do your fans want to see when they go to the stadium?" he said.

"You need to identify [those elements] and then you can go further and identify what kind of a coach plays that way, what GMs think that way."

That’s music to the ears of Tom Anselmi, executive vice-president of MLSE, who said the decision to hire Klinsmann and his consultancy group wasn’t based on what kind of services they offer, but on helping TFC forge a clear identity.

"It was about the philosophy behind building a team and it was about things like, 'What do you want the legacy of this team to be about in Canadian [soccer].'" stated Anselmi. "What influence do you want it to have … and how are we going to use that as a foundation to build from?"