Legendary Germany striker Miroslav Klose has announced his retirement from football.
The 38-year-old, Germany’s all-time top scorer with 71 international goals, has ended his playing career having left Lazio at the end of last season.
He has now joined the national team’s coaching staff under manager Joachim Low as he studies for his pro licence with the DFB.
Klose is the top goalscorer in World Cup history with 16 tournament goals and retired from international football after winning the World Cup with Germany in 2014, having scored twice.
The striker, who played 137 games for Germany, said: “I celebrated my greatest successes in the national team and this was a wonderful time which remains unforgettable.
“That is why I’m delighted to return to the DFB. In the past few months, I have thought a lot about continuing my playing career, but also about looking at new avenues, namely becoming a coach.
“Reading a game, preparing painstakingly, developing strategies and tactics have always intrigued me and interested me a lot as a player. I am very grateful to Jogi Low and [DFB technical director] Hansi Flick for this opportunity to sharpen my ideas now in practice.”
With help from Low and Flick, Klose will now begin his journey from player to coach, and the boss is happy to support him and also have his support after penning a new long-term deal as Germany manager.
“I’ve always been able to rely on Miro and that’s why I’m really pleased that he is now going to be part of our team,” he said.
“He’s a role model as a person and a sportsman who always puts everything else after the team and success.
“With his views and his experience, I can see him very well as a coach in the future and we are happy to support him along the way with the DFB. I am sure that we the coaches are going to benefit as much from his presence here as we did when he was a player. We’re looking forward to working with Miro.”
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