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Klinsmann scored 11 goals in three World Cup tournaments. David Cannon/Allsport |
A world champion in 1990, Klinsmann was still one of the world's deadliest strikers eight years later in France, despite the damaged reputation of German soccer.
Playing alongside Rudi Voeller, Klinsmann contributed three goals at the 1990 finals in Italy as West Germany rolled to the title.
As defending champion and a finalist three tournaments running, Germany's 2-1 defeat by Bulgaria in the quarterfinals in 1994 was considered a humiliating failure, but the tournament was a personal triumph for Klinsmann, who scored five goals.
In 1996 he led Germany to the European Championship title in England and, at 34 and with more than 100 caps and nearly 50 international goals to his name, Klinsmann was still the mainstay of the German attack at the 1998 finals in France.
Again Germany could only reach the last eight before losing 3-0 to Croatia, but the ever-prolific Klinsmann had added three more goals to his World Cup tally by then.
A generous and warm character, Klinsmann played for clubs in Germany, Italy, France and England before retiring to the United States.
