- One year after retiring as Head of Football in FC Basel’s youth team, Timm Klose (37) is in the process of redefining himself.
- The former national defender talks about the standard of Basel’s youth team and the pressure of social media in the youth sector.
- He also reveals how he is currently following Thun’s rise.
Timm Klose, a social media clip of yours recently went viral on Instagram with over 50,000 views. Are you a social media star now?
Ah, really? I just had the time and the desire to do it. When I need an outlet, I go on social media and put out something funny. I think “influencer” is a stupid word for it. But it’s fun to move with the times. You also learn a lot there by dealing with the boys.
What do you mean?
Social media was just emerging for us and we had to learn to deal with it. Today this is common practice. I recently had a junior player’s phone in my hand. He had over ten hours of screen time a day. This is hardly tangible for me. I’m at about three or four hours.
How do you deal with this topic among young people?
We have to look consciously and adapt to new developments without trying to control everything. When our players enter campus, the following applies: cell phones away. Football is the focus, full of focus. We also make them aware of how to use social media and how it can be perceived by the public, especially the perspective players. We want a conscious approach without, for example, stories behind the wheel, but we also don’t put unnecessary pressure on us to be perfect.
Do you see this as a danger for the younger generation?
Absolutely. Social media can be a blessing, but it can also be a vicious circle. Young players compare themselves to superstars like Lamine Yamal and forget that such careers are absolute exceptions. The world is showing us a luxury that is becoming the norm. Many people think: If I don’t have this, I’m nothing. It’s about how you develop as a personality.
What is your screen time?
And if a player can’t handle the pressure?
Then we let him gain security back in his age category. We say: «Get your self-confidence back! Then when you’re ready again, you can come back.”
What distinguishes the FCB young talents from other academies?
We certainly don’t do everything better, but we have high standards. Many of those who were with us now play in the first team. That speaks for itself. With us you have to develop strongly and be able to win. Playing in front of 25,000 people in Joggeli is not a given. You have to be able to deal with that.
You also experienced the new generation in England. What are the differences?
In England, many players focus entirely on football at the U21 level – without any training on the side. Things are different in Switzerland. We want our boys to have a stable foundation if it’s not enough in terms of sport. That they can say: “I still got a good education.” For me, this is central and makes the Swiss system special.
The central defender, who grew up in Basel, was trained in the FCB youth ranks and made his professional debut at FC Thun in 2009. After promotion with the Bernese Oberland, he moved to the Bundesliga to 1. FC Nürnberg and later to VfL Wolfsburg, with whom he won the DFB Cup in 2015.
This was followed by several years in England with Norwich City and Bristol City – including promotion to the Premier League with Norwich. After retiring from his career, he is now working at FC Basel, where he is Head of Football for the youth team.
You were a professional for almost 20 years. How does the transition into the new phase of life succeed?
First and foremost, football remains my great passion. But what’s exciting for me now is that there are other things too im Football? I have tasks with FC Basel and my start-ups that show a different side of football. I’m constantly learning new things there, a lot of things are outside my comfort zone. It’s uncomfortable, sometimes difficult, but that’s exactly what I need to develop.
As a television expert, your analyzes are sometimes controversial. For example after your comment about Morandi’s missed penalty. How do you deal with criticism?
At Blue Sport I am as authentic as possible, which means: honest and straightforward. I say what I see and how I feel at that moment. I know many situations from the field. There is also praise when it is appropriate. I’m neither against nor for certain teams. I can’t and don’t want to do that. And yes, sometimes I’m right, like with the penalty scene back then. I still understand that the coach protects his player.
Is it difficult to remain neutral when it comes to FCB?
Of course I can remain neutral there too. But it’s emotional, like watching your own son play football. You automatically have a different perception.
Your former club Thun is currently leader of the Super League. How do you see that?
Thun is currently overperforming, but that doesn’t surprise me. They have a stable environment that has been working together for years. Mauro Lustrinelli’s system is special, but it works. You want stories like that in football like Leicester City in England back then. But in my heart I’m still for FCB and hope that Thun stumbles so that we can overtake them. (laughs)
And how do you assess the situation at FCB?
Development rarely runs in a straight line, and certain fluctuations are part of it. I see it positively: If everything goes smoothly, you won’t learn anything. Small dents are normal, what matters is how you deal with them. At FCB the bar is simply high, and that’s exactly what drives me: to get up every day and say I want this challenge.
