Beckenbauer said: “I don’t know how far these discussions with Chelsea will actually go but I could certainly imagine him taking over.
“When Jurgen does a job he is engaging and energetic. He still enjoys great respect in England from his time at Tottenham.
“Which other German could become England’s player of the year, as he did in 1995?
“Jurgen and Chelsea fits but it won’t work if he tries to commute.
“He would have to move completely from California to England – to a league with 20 clubs where they play at Christmas and New Year with national cup competitions and the Champions League.
“London eats you up with skin and hair. No one has time there – unlike when he was in charge of Germany, when he could relax back in America.
“Roman Abramovich is a strong owner who one should not under-estimate because it has apparently come to a head with Mourinho.
“Two years at Chelsea can wear you down, as if you had spent four years at another club.
“Nevertheless, if the chance arises for Jurgen he should grab it. At 42, he is a young man who can work at a top club.”
