41-year-old Lehmann recently came out of retirement to serve as an emergency goalkeeper for the Gunners as they fight for the Premier League title.
“We can see how difficult it is for many to find a fulfilling, meaningful job after leaving professional sports,” Kahn told Bild. However, he added: “From a sporting perspective, he can certainly help out for some games. The whole situation is further evidence of the goalkeeper malaise in England.”
In his extensive interview, Kahn discussed the situation of former club Bayern at length. Goal.com took excerpts of his statements:
On outgoing coach Louis van Gaal:
“If you look closely, he had everything Bayern Munich needed and were looking for. He has a concept of football that could have left something permanent and sustainable if we had continued to work with him.
“I think he failed because he neglected that – at the expense of the attractiveness of the game. Titles are derived from a stable defence.
“He looks like a man who is willing to incorporate little of others’ viewpoints in his decisions. Thus the problems arose with Uli Hoeness. This combination probably resulted in the separation.”
The January departure of Mark van Bommel:
“It is not easy to find players who fit this profile, and to sign them. The Bayern players are all great footballers, but sometimes everything seems a little too good. You need types such as a Van Bommel, John Terry, or Gennaro Gattuso.”
Likely Van Gaal replacement Jupp Heynckes:
“He knows the club and successfully worked there after Juergen Klinsmann. That was nothing easy. Whether this is sustainable in perspective, I’m not a hundred per cent sure.”
Bayern’s future prospects:
“They are not really missing all that much, so next year the team may land the big role and get into the Champions League final in Munich.”
Current No. 1 goalkeeper Thomas Kraft:
“You can see how easy it is in this business to go from heaven to hell and back again. He is highly talented. But Bayern will have their reservations.”
The German national team:
“We should not be blinded in German football. The Bundesliga is a successful product. We have the highest average attendance in Europe, superb stadiums and soon will have a fourth Champions League place. But we do not play the most successful football.
” The Spanish and English continue to be ahead of us in quality. The last title for a German team in the Champions League or the Europa League was long ago. Such title wins are important because they are essential to winning titles for the national team.”
Continued here:
Retired Bayern Munich Keeper Oliver Kahn Taunts Arsenal’s Jens Lehmann