April 9, 2006: Germany’s 2006 world cup soccer campaign kicked-up an early unwanted row after coach Jurgen Klinsmann unceremoniously dumped goalkeeper Oliver Kahn as the country’s number one goalkeeper.

Arsenel’s Jens Lehmann will now fit into the slot, Klinsmann told Kahn, who was voted the best player in he World Cup football in Japan and Korea in 2002.

An utterly disappointed Oliver Kahn, the custodian of Bayern Munich goal, said he is yet to take a decision on his future as an international footballer, but would continue his services for Bayern Munich in Bundesliga, Germany’s Premier football league.

The 36-year-old King Kahn hinted that a decision on his international career will be taken in a few weeks time. Kahn, who wore the German jersey 84 times, had taken over the goal keeper’s slot from Adreas Koepke in the year 1998.

But Klinsmann’s decision has not been taken too kindly by many. Bayern president Franz Beckenbauer had a word of caution when he said that it would have been a bitter pill for Kahn to swallow. He went on to say that whether the decision this right or wrong can be gauged only after the World Cup.

Kahn and Lehmann had been bitter rivals under the same goal, sometimes even indulging in verbal mudslinging . In the run-up to the Euro 2004 finals, Lehmann went to the extent of flaying Kahn’s personal life, hinting at Kahn’s young girlfriend. Kahn’s wife was pregnant at the time when Kahn went after the young lass.

That was in bad taste but that revealed the deep divisions in the dressing room over the choice of the number one goal keeper.

An angry Kahn too made headlines with his nasty retaliation, and stole a mind game over his arch rival when the then coach Rudi Voeller reposed faith in Kahn as the Number One goal keeper.

But things have obviously changed for him after Jurgen Klinsmann came to the helm as the German coach in August 2004.

Kilnsmann, who like Kahn represented Bayern Munich, clearly showed his intentions when he stripped Kahn of his captaincy. The armband of the captain was passed on to Michael Ballack.

Klinsmann then came up with the idea of playing Kahn and Lensmann in various matches to find out who should be the number one goal keeper in the World Cup.

Kahn was confident enough that he would get the slot, banking on his vast experience and Lehmann’s lack of big match experience, but Klinsmann thought otherwise. He made it clear to Kahn in Munich that Lehmann was his choice.

What Klinsmann would be hoping is that this bitter spat between two archrivals does not spill over to the dressing room as Germany starts their 2006 world cup campaign against Costa Rica in Munich on June 9. Any disaster would mean accusing fingers will point towards Klinsmann rather than Lehmann.