Miroslav Klose Wants to be Guardiola's Understudy at Bayern Munich

Miroslav Klose wants to sit on the bench at Bayern Munich next season as Pep Guardiola's understudy. His player contract with Lazio expires at the end of 2015.

"A practicum with Pep Guardiola would truly be a gift," the Lazio forward told Bild on Wednesday.

Klose signed a one-year contract extension remain at Lazio, the club he signed with on a free transfer after he concluded his four-year run with Bayern. He admitted that this contract would be his last, ending a 15-year, four club tour in his playing career.

"At the moment I assume that 2015 is the end, but it depends on my fitness and my injuries," Klose said in a Bild interview in June.

He also told Bild in June that he is going to move back to Munich upon his retirement. He and his family have been building a house there for the last three years.

The 36-year-old retired from the national team after winning the World Cup, leaving his country duties with 71 goals to his name. He has already has a goal in and an assist in 79 minutes with Lazio this season.

Klose has already considered his coaching license, opening the possibility for him to become an active part of Bayern's future coaching staffs. Bayern currently has six former players as part of the coaching staff in the top three teams. Other players have remained in the front office scouting department, and several others have moved on to have managerial careers of their own.

Guardiola is only signed until 2015, although it would be highly irregular for Klose to be the one to take over. The Bayern managers that had been former players, Franz Beckenbauer and Jürgen Klinsmann, lasted less than a season. He will likely be an understudy for many years before he gets the keys to a club, but working under one of the best managers in the game is a pretty good start.