Penalty Secrets for Sale
October 4, 2006
There seems to be no end to what people are willing to auction in terms of World Cup memorabilia. There have been sections of the Berlin Olympiastadion's turf, the ripped-up team cards from the World Cup draw, Jürgen Klinsmann's old Beetle and signs directing fans to toilets in Frankfurt.
Now Germany's World Cup goalkeeper Jens Lehmann has jumped on the bandwagon by offering the mysterious, sweat-soaked note he was seen reading between penalties in the spot-kick shoot-out in the quarter-final against Argentina. The note will be auctioned for charity.
Female fan infatuated with German goalie?
The note caused much speculation. What was it Lehmann was checking? Was it a shopping list his wife had given him, reminding him what to pick up from the supermarket on his way home after the game? Was it the phone number of a female fan addressed to his rival, the surprisingly desirable Oliver Kahn? If so, one could understand why Jens had to keep looking at it…"Is it really for him? I don't get it."
In fact, as Lehmann revealed after the game, it was a check list of the penalty habits of Argentina's players which read:
- Riquelme left high
- Crespo long run/right, short run/left
- Heinze left low
- Ayala long wait, long run right
- Messi left
- Aimar long wait left
- Rodriguez left
Lehmann's shopping list works a treat
Germany prevailed in the shoot-out and Lehmann was the penalty hero, saving two shots. Germany went on to face eventual World Cup winners Italy in the semi-final where they lost to two late goals.
Unsubstantiated rumors suggest that Lehmann had a note ready for that game too but he inadvertently left it in the changing room. That note is believed to have said:
- Stay awake for the full game, even if it goes into extra time
- Cover the left hand post if Fabio Grosso gets the ball in the 119th minute
- Don't believe rumors that Alessandro Del Piero is now rubbish
That note would have been worth a fortune, especially if Jens had remembered to take it onto the pitch with him.