Former Germany number one Oliver Kahn has challenged Jens Lehmann's claim that the Euro 2008 ball deviates in the air.
Lehmann has admitted he is struggling to adjust to the flight of the new ball after conceding two soft goals in Germany's surprise 2-2 with Belarus on Tuesday. The former Arsenal goalkeeper, who hardly featured for the London club last season, feels he needs more time to get used to the movement of the ball.
But Kahn, Lehmann's rival for the number one spot leading up to the 2006 World Cup, insists that there is no problem with the ball. The former Bayern Munich keeper, who retired at the end of this season, told the Bild newspaper: 'At Bayern Munich we played all of our home games in the second half of the season with the this Euro ball. And I have to say, it is clearly better than its predecessors.' He added: 'It is covered on the outside with minute bumps. They provide the goalkeepers with a firmness of grip. I also cannot say for sure that the ball deviates in flight if the wind suddenly turns. But the ball is of course seriously quick - an advantage for the attackers.'
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