Berti Vogts has been appointed as a technical advisor to the USA national team, a decision that is totally baffling to me.
Vogts had a storied playing career as he helped then West Germany win the 1974 World Cup. Then as a a coach he guided Germany t0 the UEFA EURO 96 title. But since then it has been all downhill, wirth failed coaching stops in Kuwait, Scotland, Nigeria and Azerbaijan.
The reason for Voghts being hired is his close relationship with tone deaf US coach Jurgen Klinsmann, who was captain of the Germany side which won the European Championship under Vogts 19 years ago. Klinsmann is quoted as saying about the Vogts hiring:
“We had a fantastic experience with Berti during the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
“His knowledge and experience is a tremendous asset for us. With Andi Herzog having a big focus on qualifying the U-23 team for the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Berti will make an even more important contribution.”
As the US’s technical advisor, Vogts will oversee the development of players in Europe, working with US U-23 coach Andreas Herzog and Matthias Hamann on scouting, building and improving club relationships, and identifying talent.
The problem I have with the hiring of Vogts, besides his disastrous spell as Scotland manager, is that he is another non-American that is part of the national team squad. There already exists tension between Major League Soccer and US Soccer based on some of Klinsmann’s comments post World Cup, and I don’t see how bringing in another European viewpoint is going to make that relationship work any better.
What do you think of the hiring of Vogts?