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German national team goalkeeper Oliver Kahn, who is a veteran player, expressed his agreement with the role of the reserve goalkeeper in the upcoming World Cup.
"After thinking it through, I decided that the team will need me at the World Cup, despite being very disappointed," Kahn said at a specially arranged press conference in Munich. "Here, not only my personal ambitions are important."
After much deliberation and uncertainty, national team coach Juergen Klinsmann officially announced on Friday that the main goalkeeper starting the World Cup on June 9 will be Jens Lehmann, the goalkeeper for London's "Arsenal."
Kahn was the captain of the team that reached the final of the 2002 World Cup and was named the best player of the tournament despite a mistake in the final that allowed Brazil to score the first goal in the match, which ended 2-0.
On Friday, the goalkeeper for Munich's "Bayern" reacted to Klinsmann's statement by saying that he will consider his future in the national team. After three days of contemplation and a 0-3 loss to "Werder" Bremen on Saturday, Kahn decided not to end his career in the national team.
"Juergen has made his decision and I accept it," Kahn said. "The whole team, including Jens Lehmann, will have my support."
Klinsmann, the national team coach, was very pleased to hear Kahn's words: "This earns respect for Oliver. His experience and willingness to stay and help us perform successfully at the World Cup will greatly benefit the team."
This year, Kahn has represented the hosts of the World Cup 84 times, while Lehmann has represented them 29 times.
