The Germany team are sponsored by German firm Adidas, and as their keeper Jens is expected to wear Adidas gloves. But in the 2-0 friendly win over Iran last week he opted for the Nike gloves that he's used to wearing at Arsenal. A DFB spokesman said, "The DFB's position is very clear: anyone who wants to play in the national team has to wear Adidas or else renounce being selected". According to Bild, Lehmann did actually ask the coach Jurgen Klinsmann for permission to wear his Nikes, but Klinsmann was too busy to give the matter much thought. It's not clear whether that means that Klinsmann okayed it or if he just didn't get back to Lehmann who then assumed it'd be ok. Either way, we suspect that neither of them thought it'd be that big a deal. Anyway, Adidas then had words with the DFB and they've had words with Jehmann. Reports suggest that Lehmann did cover up the Nike logos with tape.

Lehmann was given a rare start in the Iran match, and by all accounts was pretty impressive. It seems that the tide may have turned in Jens' favour, with Lothar Matthaus saying that he reckons Kahn may be on the verge of quitting the German squad, if he thinks Lehmann will continue to be used in preference.

It seems that Klinsmann has been moving in this direction for a while. First he started saying that he'd use them both, then he took the captaincy away from Kahn and gave it to Michael Ballack. Next, he sacked goalkeeping coach Sepp Maier, apparently for comments expressing a significant bias in favour of Kahn over Lehmann. "He (Lehmann) can go hang himself, he’ll never be number one," said Maier. Maier is a long-time friend of Kahn's, and his argument in favour of the Bayern Munich stopper appeared to be that he'd won more in his career than Lehmann. It's an interesting break from the traditional "current form" method of selection. Presumably Maier thinks that Klinsmann ought to be selecting the likes of Beckenbauer (another Kahn fan, incidentally) and Matthaus, and perhaps Maier himself ought to be first choice goalie.

Maybe Lehmann's decision to play in England has gone towards turning these German legends against him, although as Wenger points out in his own defence of Lehmann's international credentials, it's hard to see how one can criticise his extraordinary Premiership record of zero defeats. Even his critics in this country have only ever been able to point at his "suspect temperament", and they all appear to be recognising that he's as good as sorted that problem out these days. But the main man in Germany at the moment is Klinsmann, and he at least recognises that Kahn isn't going to last for ever, and that Lehmann has a very good case to be the successor. But as far as he's concerned, the contest is not yet over. After the Iran game he said, "The race between Kahn and Lehmann will stay open until the World Cup in 2006. Lehmann was superb. He´s a world class goalie and used his chance. It´s no coincidence that Arsenal has been unbeaten for so long." Bild columnist Walter M. Stratten echoed the praise, "Lehmann scores points in his bout with Kahn... He was not only flawless but held a number of unstoppable shots."

To be fair, following previous criticism of Lehmann, Kahn has now said that he's got no more to say on the matter, and Meier has apologised for his comments.

With regard to his Arsenal future, Lehmann has diluted previous reports that he's said he might go back to Germany, saying that "I would gladly extend my contract at Arsenal until the end of my career. The Premiership is the liveliest league you can play in. Playing abroad can be a disadvantage for a goalkeeper, as you get singled out when you play badly, but I'm very happy here. Everything over here if far less stressful than in Germany. I have never once been ill, in contrast to my time with Dortmund."