Beckenbauer on both sides in German goalkeeper debate

Jun 27, 2005, 10:34 GMT

Leipzig, Germany - Football icon Franz Beckenbauer managed to occupy both sides of the spectrum in a heated debate Monday after Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann's announcement to chose his number 1 goalkeeper only a few weeks before the 2006 World Cup.

Klinsmann said on Saturday that he will make up his mind between Oliver Kahn of Bayern Munich and Arsenal's Jens Lehmann in May, with the World Cup starting on June 9.

"If that's the view of the coach then that is fine. We can trust him and his team," Beckenbauer wrote in a column in Monday's edition of the Bild daily.

But Beckenbauer was quoted as saying by Kicker sports magazine that he must decide "early next year at the latest. He can not wait any longer."

This statement echoed concerns voiced by former Bayern Munich coach Ottmar Hitzfeld.

"To be honest, I don't really consider the constant goalkeeper exchange very good," said Hitzfeld in a Kicker column.

But Hans Tilkowski, a former Germany goalkeeper, was full of support for Klinsmann although he found himself on the losing end of a similar discussion at the 1962 World Cup, with Wolfgang Fahrian eventually chosen.

"I was not told until 20 hours before the first game by coach Sepp Herberger. Juergen Klinsmann has a lot of time left on the goalkeeper issue," Tilkowski said.

Klinsmann's goalkeeper coach Andreas Koepke, meanwhile, said that he was also taken by surprise by Klinsmann's announcement.

Koepke said the original plan was to discuss the issue after the Confederations Cup in which Klinsmann like in the past played Kahn and Lehmann (and number 3 Timo Hildebrand as well).