Klinsmann to succeed Hitzfeld at Bayern

Klinsmann, 43, hasn't coached since leading Germany to third place at the 2006 World Cup. He turned down an offer to coach the United States more than a year ago.

"This is an absolutely superb choice. We're delighted," said Miroslav Klose, a forward for Bayern Munich and Germany.

Klinsmann has never led a club team but has been highly sought after since he resigned as Germany's coach after the 1996 World Cup and "he did an extremely good job for Germany," Bayern and France defender Willy Sagnol said.

"The German internationals know what kind of a guy he is, so we view this very positively," Bayern and German midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger said.

Klinsmann scored 47 goals in 108 matches for Germany. He was on Germany's 1990 World Cup winner and was the captain of the Euro 1996 champions.

He played at Bayern Munich between 1995-97, helping the club capture the UEFA Cup and German titles. He also played at Inter Milan, Stuttgart and Tottenham.

Klinsmann set a Bayern team record by scoring 15 goals in the 1996 UEFA Cup - the last time the club was in Europe's second-tier tournament.

"He knows his Bayern Munich," Hitzfeld said. "Jurgen is an outstanding coach and a tremendous man-motivator, who had an excellent World Cup."

Bayern leads at the winter break in the Bundesliga - which resumes on Feb. 1 - and is in the knockout rounds of the UEFA Cup.

"I hope we have a couple trophies to defend when he arrives," Schweinsteiger said.