Franz Beckenbauer said on Tuesday he hoped coach Jurgen Klinsmann would continue to lead the national team despite a heart-breaking 2-0 loss to Italy in the FIFA World Cup™ semi-finals.
"We trust him, the players trust him. I hope he continues," Beckenbauer told German ZDF television after Italy scored two goals in the final two minutes of extra time to dash Germany's dream of winning the Trophy on home soil.
Beckenbauer was highly critical of Klinsmann before the tournament began and said in May that the German Football Association (DFB) should have a replacement for him "on the back-burner" in case Germany exited the FIFA World Cup early.
However, Klinsmann led the team farther than many had expected, winning over the nation in the process.
Klinsmann himself has said his future as coach depended on the success of the team and had resisted DFB efforts to extend his two-year contract beyond the tournament.
Beckenbauer won the FIFA World Cup as a player in 1974 and as a coach in 1990 with a team which featured Klinsmann.