Jens Lehmann announced his retirement from the German national team following a talk with DFB-coach Joachim Löw and goalkeepers coach Andreas Köpke on Friday. The 38-year old Lehmann had given his debut on February 18, 1998, in a game against the Emirate of Oman. His stellar career encompasses 61 international appearances as well as three World Cups and three European Championships.
During the two-hour talk, Jens Lehmann and Joachim Löw agreed that the time has come for some of the younger talents to guard the German goal, especially looking forward to South Africa 2010. Following the meeting, Löw said: “We had a very good discussion. Evaluating the situation, we were on the exact same wavelength. I thanked Jens for his great career in our team. Fans will always remember his fantastic saves in our win over Argentina at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He also played a pivotal role at the EURO this year. He has done so much for German football, and I chose to consult him in most important matters.”
Jens Lehmann said: “I could not give Joachim Löw any guarantees that I would extend my career beyond this one year, for which I have signed a contract with the VfB Stuttgart. Therefore I offered Löw and Köpke my resignation. I had a great run in the national team. These last few years in England, the national team had been my contact home. More than any other event, I will always remember the 2006 World Cup.”
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Jens Lehmann announced his retirement from the German national team following a talk with DFB-coach Joachim Löw and goalkeepers coach Andreas Köpke on Friday. The 38-year old Lehmann had given his debut on February 18, 1998, in a game against the Emirate of Oman. His stellar career encompasses 61 international appearances as well as three World Cups and three European Championships.
During the two-hour talk, Jens Lehmann and Joachim Löw agreed that the time has come for some of the younger talents to guard the German goal, especially looking forward to South Africa 2010. Following the meeting, Löw said: “We had a very good discussion. Evaluating the situation, we were on the exact same wavelength. I thanked Jens for his great career in our team. Fans will always remember his fantastic saves in our win over Argentina at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He also played a pivotal role at the EURO this year. He has done so much for German football, and I chose to consult him in most important matters.”
Jens Lehmann said: “I could not give Joachim Löw any guarantees that I would extend my career beyond this one year, for which I have signed a contract with the VfB Stuttgart. Therefore I offered Löw and Köpke my resignation. I had a great run in the national team. These last few years in England, the national team had been my contact home. More than any other event, I will always remember the 2006 World Cup.”
