Jürgen Klinsmann said on Thursday that he was not criticizing or disparaging Major League Soccer by expressing regret that key players Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley had switched to the MLS from two of Europe's top clubs.
“It’s great to see that we have debates and public discussions like this because that shows that more and more people care about soccer in this country,” Klinsmann said when asked about criticism from MLS Commissioner Don Garber about his views.
“In Europe, in South America and in Mexico we’re all used to this,” Klinsmann said. “It’s part of people’s everyday lives – to have debates about different opinions. It’s just starting now in the United States and I think it’s pretty cool.”
Garber had criticized Klinsmann for saying players switching to the MLS from Europe could be hampered by a drop in form.
“Jürgen’s comments are very, very detrimental to the league, to the sport of soccer in North America ... they are wrong,” Garber said, adding they were “incredibly damaging and personally infuriating.”
Klinsmann said he believed Garber had misunderstood him.
“I’d simply respond to Don that it’s just not the case and I would never criticize the MLS or the clubs,” said Klinsmann.
“I simply try to help the players understand where they are right now and where they could be, and let them know if I see them taking a step backwards a little bit. I just try to wake them up and say ‘you need to go in the other direction’.”