Maier sacked

GERMANY manager Jurgen Klinsmann has sacked goalkeeping coach Sepp Maier after he allegedly said Bayern Munich’s Oliver Kahn should be picked ahead of Jens Lehmann.

Maier, who won the 1974 World Cup with West Germany, works with Kahn at Bayern Munich and is reported to have said that Arsenal netminder Lehmann should forget about the 2006 World Cup, as Kahn is the better keeper.

Klinsmann, however, is keen for Kahn and Lehmann to fight for the spot ahead of 2006 in Germany. Having fired Maier, Klinsmann is understood to want Andreas Kopke in the role.