Klose is set to work alongside Loew and Germany staff for the upcoming World Cup qualifier in San Marino on November 11 and the friendly with Italy in Milan four days later said the German Football Association (DFB), confirming an earlier report in the Bild newspaper.
The 38-year-old Klose played for Serie A outfit Lazio until the end of last season but has since been without a club.
“In the last months the idea of staying on the pitch has grown in my mind but with a new perspective, namely as a coach,” Klose was quoted as saying on the DFB homepage.
“To read a game, prepare meticulously, to develop tactics and strategies have always been things I was interested in as a player.
“I’m very grateful to Joachim Loew and (DFB sport director) Hansi Flick for the opportunity to put that into practice.”
The arrangement was described as the DFB as an “education and trainee programme” while Klose will simultaneously study for his coaching license.
It is likely to continue at least until the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia which follows March fixtures with England and Azerbaijan.
Klose scored a record 71 goals in 137 caps for Germany and retired from international football after winning the 2014 World Cup. He is the record scorer at World Cup finals with 16 goals having been runner-up in 2002 and third in both 2006 and 2010.
His club honours include two Bundesliga titles and two German Cups with Bayern Munich and the Italian Cup with Lazio. He also played for Homburg, Kaiserslautern and Werder Bremen.
“I’m happy that he is a part of our team,” Loew said. “He is a role model as a person and a sportsman, who gives everything for the success of the team.
“With his ideas and experience, I can imagine him as a good coach in the future and we want to support him on the way in the DFB.”
Germany have at times struggled to replace Klose since he retired from international duty, relying on attacking midfielders or forwards to score goals.
But while Klose would seem a natural aid to the strikers, Loew believes he can contribute to more than just the attack.
“I’m sure that we coaches, like the players, will gain a lot from his presence and participation,” Loew said. “He won’t just be with us together on the training pitch rather, for example, there for studying the opposition, and match analysis as well.”
Meanwhile, team manager Oliver Bierhoff – who played with Klose at the end of hiw own international career – was happy to welcome his former strike-partner back into the fold.
“The players identify specially with the national team, it is something like a home, a second home with a familiar environment,” he said.
Source: dpa/GNA/NewsGhana.com.gh
