Euroscene: Jürgen Klinsmann is a man with a mission, one that will ideally take him all the way from Newport Beach, California, to the Olympiastadion, Berlin, on July 9th next.

To Klinsmann has fallen the unenviable task of coaching Germany through a home World Cup at the very moment when traditionally all-powerful German football appears to be in a serious crisis of identity and results.

Klinsmann always knew it was not going to be easy. As he prepares for a prestige friendly against Italy in Florence tomorrow night, the German can ruefully reflect on the veritable barrage of criticism that has come his way in recent times. For a start, there are those who feel that at 41 and with no previous coaching experience, he is simply not the right man for the job. For a second, there are many in German football including the mighty Franz Beckenbauer, who argue that he cannot possibly do his job properly from a home base in California, nearly 10,000 kilometres from the "office".

Most recently, Klinsmann has been in the eye of a selection storm because of his decision not to include 66-times capped, Borussia Dortmund defender Christian Worns in the squad for tomorrow night's game. Worns publicly took issue with Klinsmann, complaining that the coach had informed him he was dropped only by leaving a message on his answering machine. Worns went on to imply that Klinsmann had left him out because he does not like him.

In response to Worns' criticism, Klinsmann confirmed last weekend there is no place for the Borussia player in his plans for this summer's World Cup finals. Klinsmann called Worns' comments "cheeky and disrespectful", adding that the player's attitude left him with "no basis to work together anymore". All of which prompted the clearly annoyed Worns to counter: "Disrespectful? I can only laugh at that.The whole way I've been treated by Klinsmann is under-handed and dishonest."

Perhaps Klinsmann has done the right thing. In essence, he has resolved the German version of a "Roy Keane" problem four months before the World Cup finals, not four days before the tournament starts. The decision, however, has left even his captain, the talented Michael Ballack, saying he was "a bit surprised", adding that he could "understand Christian's anger".

No doubt Klinsmann and his players will thrash out the issue during their training preparations for tomorrow night's game. That match, too, should give us some indication of just where his Germany currently stands. Marcello Lippi's Italy side may not be flamboyant but they have a battle-hardened sense of identity.

In contrast, Klinsmann acknowledges he must try to put together a younger, less experienced side in which perhaps only Ballack is a genuine world-class performer: "The German system worked well for a long time, we won three World Cups and three European Championships but then in 1996, we just stopped. I know there was the miracle, second-place finish at the last World Cup finals but really we should have gone out of that tournament at the quarter-final stage (against the USA). Rudi Voeller did really well with the team but that result just hid the reality of things. Since 1996, we've let a whole generation of players go missing," Klinsmann told Gazzetta Dello Sport yesterday.

As for criticism that he is based too far away from Germany to do his job properly, Klinsmann argues he is no different than coaches like Carlos Alberto Parreira of Brazil or Jose Perkerman of Argentina who both have the vast majority of their squad based on the other side of the world: "I get up at 5.30 in the morning, when it's afternoon in Europe and I'm immediately in contact with my assistants and others. I use e-mail, video conferences, I ring the players, I'm always on top of things and then twice a month I'm back in Germany. You obviously couldn't coach a club this way but a national team yes."

In an oft-quoted remark, made in February 2004, Klinsmann said he might one day consider coaching, adding "but only in 10 years' time". Five months later, he had accepted the Germany job. Does he now regret his decision? "I and my wife thought about it for just 30 seconds before accepting. If I'd said no, I would have regretted it for the rest of my life."