Miroslav Klose is kicking off his third season as head coach of 1. FC Nürnberg with great enthusiasm. “The anticipation is huge—not just among the fans, but among us as well,” said the 2014 World Cup champion ahead of Sunday’s 2. Bundesliga opener (1:30 p.m./Sky) with a home game against Dynamo Dresden. The Franconians are expecting 42,000 spectators for their first competitive match. “The excitement is really high,” Klose assured.
After finishing tenth and eighth in the past two years, the Nuremberg team is aiming higher. They have not, at least publicly, set a specific goal for their position in the standings. “I’m incredibly happy that the guys are taking matters into their own hands and setting certain goals for the season together,” said Klose, who will have to do without Stjopa Mkrtschjan (muscle injury), Andrea Ceresoli, and Mikayil Faye (both behind in training) in the defense for the opener.
The former national team striker wants to see his players engage in more ambitious competition on the field this season. “I hope there’s some real fire and intensity in the competition for many positions. If one player has a slight edge on Sunday, I’ll demand a response from the others in that position. That’s already looked very good in training,” Klose said.
