Goalkeeper debate: Lehmann criticises Klopp's ter Stegen call – Kahn disagrees
Former Germany keeper Jens Lehmann is surprised that Jürgen Klopp declared Marc-André ter Stegen his number one. Oliver Kahn and Roman Weidenfeller defend the national coach.
Archive image · Photo: Siebbi / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (cropped and resized)
Jens Lehmann has criticised national coach Jürgen Klopp's handling of the goalkeeper question. “In the national team it surprised me a little that Klopp said he is the number one,” the former Germany goalkeeper said on SPORT1's show “Triple” about Marc-André ter Stegen. Ter Stegen kept goal in the opener against the Netherlands, Alexander Nübel against Greece, and Jonas Urbig against Serbia and in Greece.
Lehmann would not have named a first choice: “In two years there's a Euro, and whoever makes the best impression by then plays.” Roman Weidenfeller sees it differently: “I think Jürgen just wanted to calm the topic so it doesn't flare up again.”
Oliver Kahn, who once competed with Lehmann for Germany's goal himself, also backed Klopp's approach and warned against an open contest: “You don't want to endanger players' mental health.”