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Klinsmann considering taking US citizenship

USA head football coach Jürgen Klinsmann is considering taking American citizenship despite having played in West Germany's 1990 World Cup-winning team and later coaching the German national side, he has admitted.

Klinsmann considering taking US citizenship
Photo: DPA

The 48-year-old, who has trained the US team since July 2011, lives with his family in Huntington Beach, California, and says he enjoys life Stateside.

“It is quite possible that in the future I will take American citizenship,” he told German daily Bild. “I need to have plenty of time for it, it’s a lengthy process.”

But Klinsmann, coach of the Germany side which finished third in the 2006 World Cup, said his true home was still Stuttgart.

His USA team will host the German national team in Washington DC next June 2 as part of Germany’s two-match tour.

“I’m really looking forward to that, I’ll be able to see everyone again,” he said.”And we can show Germany what we have achieved with football in the USA.”

Klinsmann made 108 appearances for Germany, scoring 48 goals in the process, between 1987 and 1998. “Football here may have caught up with other sports, but it is not the top sport here and I can still live here relatively anonymously,” he said.

AFP/jlb

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RACISM

VIDEO: Spain’s La Liga reviews video of boy racially abusing Vinicius

Spain's La Liga on Monday said it was reviewing a video of a child making racist insults towards Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior during the 2-2 draw with Valencia at the weekend.

VIDEO: Spain's La Liga reviews video of boy racially abusing Vinicius

“We’re in the process of studying and analysing the facts from a legal standpoint to see what we can and should do,” La Liga sources said.

In a video published by a journalist for ESPN Brasil, and picked up by Spanish media, a boy sitting in a woman’s lap can be heard calling Vinicius a “monkey”.

The Brazilian scored twice for Madrid as his team recovered from two goals down at Mestalla on Saturday.

Vinicius raised his fist in a “Black Power” salute after the first of his two goals at a ground where he was racially abused last season. Valencia subsequently banned three people from the stadium for life.

The 23-year-old has become a symbol of the fight against discrimination in Spanish football after suffering racist abuse on many occasions, and he was jeered repeatedly by home supporters on Saturday.

Jude Bellingham was sent off after the final whistle against Valencia for protesting after the referee blew the final whistle right before the England midfielder headed home what he thought was the winning goal.

READ ALSO: Football star Vinicius highlights racist behaviour from Spanish fans

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