” I was in the past twenty years, probably one of the most entertaining players in Germany, with my mistakes, escapades, special antics, and also with my performances, I made a lot of people laugh, cry, happy, offering wonderment. “
So begins Lehmann’s new book. And it has a lot of Ollie Kahn.
” It is Friday, 7th April 2006. For almost a year the smoldering question who should be at the World Cup in Germany as goalkeeper of the national team – Oliver Kahn or me.”
Lehmann gets a fateful call from Andy Kopke, the goalkeeping coach.
“It’s not been easy for us, we have sat together since yesterday evening. But we have decided its you.”
A number of ways he could celebrate cross his mind. But in the end he allows himself a small smile of satisfaction. It took 35 years for Lehmann but here he was, finally, the goalkeeper of the Mannschaft.
That paper he had which he kept looking at after each penalty kick in the match between Germany and Argentina and shoving back into his socks. In it all the vital information on the penalty takers written by Kopke. In pencil.
By the time it came to Esteban Cambiasso, the note was smudged. Lehmann looked for his name frantically but it was not there. Suddenly, in a split second he remembered the quarterfinal match in the Champions League: Inter vs Villareal. Cambiasso firing in a free kick into the left hand corner of goal.
The moment was nigh as the player had already begun his run to the ball and about to strike the ball when Lehmann centered himself and jumped to the left. It was the right decision. Germany were through to the semi-finals thanks to Lehmann’s preternatural goalkeeping.
He also acknowledges Kahn’s words wishing him well before the penalty shootout. Something that he was not able to to do at that time caught up with his preparations.