Abby Wambach says she would fire USMNT coach Jurgen Klinsmann

Abby Wambach said on Bill Simmons’ podcast Tuesday that she would fire head coach Jurgen Klinsmann if she were charged with reforming the U.S. men’s national team.
Wambach, who will play the final game of her professional soccer career on Wednesday in New Orleans, mentioned the firing after Simmons asked her how she would go about fixing the troubled team.
“Oh man, I would definitely fire Jurgen,” said Wambach, who is international soccer’s all-time leading scorer with 184 goals. “Sorry Sunil [Gulati] (U.S. Soccer Federation president), sorry U.S. Soccer.”
When Simmons inquired further, Wambach added, “First of all, [Klinsmann] hasn’t really focused, I feel like, enough attention on the youth programs. He says he has, I don’t think that he has. The way that he has changed and brought in these foreign guys, it’s just not something that I believe in.”
Wambach’s comments come in response to a disappointing 2015 for the USMNT, during which the U.S. finished fourth in the Gold Cup and lost the Confederations Cup playoff against Mexico.
• WAHL: Wambach retires at appropriate time, place to cap iconic career
“If any guy or girl feels like I’m abusing them in the media, I don’t care,” Wambach said to Simmons. “I’m not going to try and positively spin it.”
Wambach’s final match will take place on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1.
GALLERY: ABBY WAMBACH THROUGH THE YEARS
Abby Wambach Through the Years
Abby Wambach

circa 1990
Abby Wambach

Sept. 21, 2002 — WUSA All Star Game MVP
Abby Wambach

Sept. 7, 2003 — USA vs. Mexico
Abby Wambach and Julie Foudy

Aug. 26, 2004 — Summer Olympics, USA vs. Brazil
Abby Wambach

March 14, 2005
Abby Wambach

Sept. 13, 2006 — USA vs. Mexico
Abby Wambach

March 12, 2007 — Algarve Cup, USA vs. Sweden
Abby Wambach

Sept. 14, 2007 — World Cup, USA vs. Sweden
Rachel Brown and Abby Wambach

Sept. 22, 2007 — World Cup, USA vs. England
Heidi Johansen and Abby Wambach

March 12, 2008 — Algarve Cup, USA vs. Denmark
Abby Wambach

July 16, 2008 — USA vs. Brazil
Abby Wambach

July 19, 2009 — USA vs. Canada
Abby Wambach

Aug. 19, 2010 — Washington Freedom vs. Chicago Red Stars
Abby Wambach

June 3, 2011
Ceci Santiago, Abby Wambach and Alina Garciamendez

June 5, 2011 — USA vs. Mexico
Abby Wambach and Berangere Sapowicz

July 13, 2011 — World Cup, USA vs. France
Abby Wambach

Aug. 9, 2012 — Summer Olympics, USA vs. Japan
Abby Wambach

Aug. 9, 2012 — Summer Olympics, USA vs. Japan
Verena Faiss, Tobin Heath, Abby Wambach and Lauren Cheney

Oct. 23, 2012 — USA vs. Germany
Abby Wambach

Nov. 10, 2013 — USA vs. Brazil (warmups)
Abby Wambach

Sept. 13, 2014 — USA vs. Mexico
Abby Wambach

May 2, 2015
Abby Wambach

June 8, 2015 Sports Illustrated cover
Abby Wambach

July 5, 2015 — World Cup, USA vs. Japan
Abby Wambach and wife Sarah Huffman

July 5, 2015 — World Cup, USA vs. Japan
Abby Wambach and USWNT teammates

July 10, 2015 — World Cup Victory Ceremony
Abby Wambach and Caitlyn Jenner

July 15, 2015 — ESPY Awards
Abby Wambach

July 20, 2015 Sports Illustrated cover
Abby Wambach, President Barack Obama, and USWNT teammates

Oct. 27, 2015
Abby Wambach

Dec. 13, 2015 — USA vs. China
Abby Wambach

Dec. 13, 2015 — USA vs. China
Abby Wambach

Dec. 15, 2015 — USA vs. China (warmups)
