Sport | Football
Lehmann is a national hero
Only last month, Jens Lehmann suffered the ignominy of being the first player to be sent off in a European Cup final. Now he is a national hero.
- Agencies
- Published: 00:00 July 2, 2006
Only last month, Jens Lehmann suffered the ignominy of being the first player to be sent off in a European Cup final. Now he is a national hero.
The German goalkeeper saved two Argentina penalties in the shootout at the end of Friday's World Cup quarterfinal in Berlin to send the host nation into the last four.
It was a high to match the low of being red-carded while playing for his club Arsenal in the Champions League final after bringing down Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o.
But Lehmann kept his emotions in check after Friday's match.
"It's important for us to see how Germany is celebrating. As someone who doesn't live in Germany at the moment, I love that. I love Germany and how they celebrate," he said.
"Now we're in the semi-final, I'm going back and I'm going to concentrate on the next game," Lehmann said.
He made the same brief comments to several groups of reporters but did not take any questions about his saves or how his feelings compared to those after his sending off in Paris.
However, he did refer to his exploits in getting Arsenal to the final, when he saved a last-minute penalty from Juan Roman Riquelme to secure victory over Villarreal of Spain.
"It's not so long ago since I saved a penalty and we got into the final. Now we're in a semifinal," he said.
Lehmann might have had the chance to repeat the feat against Riquelme on Friday but the Argentine playmaker was substituted by coach Jose Pekerman before the end of normal time.
Lehmann's coach and team mates were far more effusive about the goalkeeper's performance.
"As a former striker, I wouldn't want to face him if I was taking a penalty," Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann said.
"He has a feeling for where the penalty-taker is going to shoot. He saved two and that's why we're in the semifinal," said Klinsmann.
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