Lehmann rejects unsporting jibe after boot-throwing incident

Jens LehmannHamburg - Former Germany keeper Jens Lehmann has expressed "surprise" at being accused of unsporting behaviour by Hoffenheim coach Ralf Rangnick for throwing an opponent's boot away.

Striker Sejad Salihovic's boot came off at the feet of Stuttgart's Lehmann 20 metres from goal in Saturday's 3-3 Bundesliga draw. Instead of handing it back, the keeper threw it over his shoulder.

The Bosnia forward had to retrieve the shoe from the roof of the net where it had landed. Rangnick said Lehmann's action was "highly unsporting."

But the 39-year-old keeper was quoted by Bild newspaper Monday as saying Rangnick's remarks "surprise me a lot."

Lehmann said it was "sad that he (Rangnick) doesn't even know the rules and calls me unfair," saying the Hoffenheim coach meanwhile had chosen to ignore a "bad foul" by Salihovic on Arthur Boka who suffered a torn ligament.

"Where's the appropriateness of that?" he said.

Describing why he threw the boot away, Lehmann said: "Normally the referee would stop the game and send the player off the field so he could put his shoe back on there.

"So now the shoe lies where it could be an obstacle for a shot or a through pass.

"If Rangnick always follows everything as closely as he says he does he would know that is what I do with everything in and around my penalty area."

The boot-throwing incident followed a midweek UEFA Cup game at Zenit St Peterburg in which the former Arsenal keeper pulled off team-mate Khalid Boulahrouz's headband and threw it off the pitch after a mistake by the defender.

Lehmann rejected fears of being branded with an image for bad behaviour, according to Bild.

"I can say that in 20 years I have never seriously injured a player, and yet have to deal repeatedly with mediocre statements just because people think they can make the headlines with my name," he said. (dpa)

People: 
Regions: