GERMANY: Lehmann beats Kahn in Germany's World Cup race.

Record ID: 847738

  • Title: GERMANY: Lehmann beats Kahn in Germany's World Cup race.
  • Date: 7th April 2006
  • Summary: MUNICH, GERMANY (APRIL 7, 2006) (REUTERS) JUERGEN KLINSMANN AND ASSISTANT OLIVER BIERHOFF BIERHOFF (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN NATIONAL TRAINER JUERGEN KLINSMANN SAYING: "We have considered the issue of having two goalkeepers this very intensively, after the match against the USA we went back over the details of last twenty months again very carefully. Because of the criticism from FC Bayern Munich and their desire that we reach a decision quickly because it was slowly becoming a burden for Oliver Kahn and for Bayern Munich, so we decided to bring our decision forward. We considered it all very carefully again and have come to the decision that we shall go into the world Cup with Jens Lehmann as number one." OLIVER KAHN PULLS UP IN HIS CAR AND DRIVES PAST REPORTERS PAN FROM CAMERAMEN TO KAHN GETTING OUT OF THE CAR KAHN WALKING PAST REPORTERS AND INTO THE BAYERN MUNICH HEADQUARTERS PAN UP TO BAYERN MUNICH HEADQUARTERS LOGO KAHN COMES OUT OF THE BUILDING AND WALKS PAST REPORTERS WHO FOLLOW HIM KAHN DRIVES AWAY KAHN WITH FOOTBALL KIT, WALKS INTO THE BUILDING MEMBERS OF BAYERN MUNICH COME OUT FOR TRAINING
  • Embargoed: 22nd April 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany
  • City:
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAB0W32UXDB41U2Q9NX3RBIR1C0
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  • Story Text: Coach Juergen Klinsmann has named Jens Lehmann as Germany's first choice goalkeeper for the 2006 World Cup ahead of former captain Oliver Kahn.
    Kahn, who was extremely disappointed by the decision, will now chew over whether to retire from international soccer.
    Klinsmann decided to pick Arsenal's Lehmann ahead of Bayern Munich's more experienced Kahn after a meeting with his coaching team on Friday (April 7).
    Both Germany's senior goalkeepers are 36. Kahn has played 84 times for the World Cup hosts while Lehmann has won 29 caps.
    Kahn captained Germany to the final of the last World Cup in South Korea and Japan, and was named player of the 2002 tournament.
    Klinsmann's decision follows days of heightened speculation, fuelled by a couple of bad mistakes by Kahn and Lehmann's faultless performances for Arsenal in the Champions League. In four games against Real Madrid and Juventus, Arsenal did not concede a goal on the way to the semi-finals.
    A mistake by Kahn in Germany's 4-1 win over the United States in a friendly last month may have sealed his fate.
    "We have considered the issue of having two goalkeepers this very intensively, after the match against the USA we went back over the details of last twenty months again very carefully," Klinsmann said.
    "Because of the criticism from FC Bayern Munich and their desire that we reach a decision quickly because it was slowly becoming a burden for Oliver Kahn and for Bayern Munich, so we decided to bring our decision forward. We considered it all very carefully again and have come to the decision that we shall go into the world Cup with Jens Lehmann as number
    "
    Announcing the decision in Munich, Klinsmann said that in August last year Kahn had been slightly ahead, but that Jens had gained a lot of ground over the past months and was now that little bit ahead of Kahn.
    One of Klinsmann's first acts as coach after taking over in 2004 was to strip Kahn of the captaincy and inform the Bayern keeper he faced a battle with Lehmann for the first choice position. The coach has since alternated the two players, saying he would make a final decision at the start of May.
    Telling Oliver Kahn that he was not going to be the number one was the toughest and hardest decision in his somewhat fresh career as a coach, Klinsmann said.
    The 41-year-old, who is in his first coaching job, certainly needed courage to stand up to Bayern after powerful figures within the club criticised him for putting Kahn under pressure with his wait-and-see policy.
    The uncertainty was to blame for Kahn's two errors in a 2-2 draw with Cologne in the Bundesliga last weekend, the club said.
    Germany get the World Cup underway with a Group A game against Costa Rica on June 9 at Bayern Munich's stadium.
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