• The Shop
  • The Magazine
  • Subscribe
  • Interviews
  • Current
  • Nostalgia
  • Legends
  • European
  • World
  • About
  • Contact Us
Menu
  • The Shop
  • The Magazine
  • Subscribe
  • Interviews
  • Current
  • Nostalgia
  • Legends
  • European
  • World
  • About
  • Contact Us
Search
Close
  • The Shop
  • The Magazine
  • Subscribe
  • Interviews
  • Current
  • Nostalgia
  • Legends
  • European
  • World
  • About
  • Contact Us
Menu
  • The Shop
  • The Magazine
  • Subscribe
  • Interviews
  • Current
  • Nostalgia
  • Legends
  • European
  • World
  • About
  • Contact Us
Home Review

Book review: The Madness is on the Pitch by Jens Lehmann

Pink by Pink
December 4, 2017
in Review
Book review: The Madness is on the Pitch by Jens Lehmann
46
SHARES
381
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

REVIEW BY CHRIS ETCHINGHAM – @CEtchingham77

The one thing that it is pretty safe to say about Jens Lehmann before reading his autobiography The Madness Is On The Pitch is that you have an opinion of him already; either from his crossing of the divide from Schalke to Borussia Dortmund or from his time in the English Premier League for Arsenal.

It should be of no surprise therefore that his book is opinionated, insightful, but above all, a thoroughly enjoyable read. He doesn’t hold back on individuals, namely Oliver Kahn and Michael Ballack as well as the heavy influence those connected with Bayern Munich have over German football as a whole. But more than that, it’s a narrative of a career for a footballer who has had to make it to the top of his profession the hard way.

The book has some brilliant turns of phrase to keep the reader entertained and engaged. In one passage he describes the flight of a ball as it heads towards him as like “a bat pissed out of its mind”, or as a youth his beliefs were “as flighty as a flag on the terraces”.

Lehmann also comes across as a deeply focussed individual. At one point during the 2006 World Cup whilst trying to prepare himself for the quarter final against Argentina he was disturbed by a phone call from his wife about their children, a subject he abruptly cut her off with by declaring “you’ll have to shelve this, I need to go to sleep now – for Germany”. It’s not that Lehmann comes across as unlikeable, far from it, its more that there is a clinical, determined nature too him. The human side comes out of him too, such as his family’s struggle to relocate to London when he first joined Arsenal, something which is often overlooked with professional footballers but is always a fascinating subject

There is little in the way of banterous anecdotes, though the tale about having to smuggle a drunkenly passed out Lothar Matthaus past Bertie Vogts into the team hotel at 5am following a night out at a Monte Carlo casino at France ‘98 is well worth a read. Being subbed at half time whilst a young goalkeeper and having to borrow money from a commuter for the train journey home whilst the match is still going on is also worthy of a mention.

Lehmann has his issues with specific individuals which he seeks to address within the book, most notable his increasingly murky rivalry with his goalkeeping foe, the aforementioned Kahn. Jurgen Klinsmann, having two outstanding goalkeepers competing for just one spot, had to pick between the two. Facing enormous pressure to stick with Kahn from sections of the media, plus dignitaries such as Franz Beckenbauer, Klinsmann had a difficult decision to make and Lehmann dedicates a detailed and fascinating section of his book to how this Game Of Thrones but with a goal instead of an iron throne played out.

Lehmann’s annoyance at Toni Schumacher’s misinterpretation of a supposed snub of a fan by Lehmann is also addressed too, as is some Machiavellian behaviour by Michael Ballack and his agent as well as the increasingly bitter relationship between Lehmann and Manuel Almunia whilst the two were vying for the number one spot at Arsenal. William Gallas also may wish to read the book with his fingers over his eyes if possible, Lehmann was none too impressed with the Frenchman’s behaviour in the infamous game at Birmingham City when Eduardo had his leg broken. There are also thinly veiled digs at Chelsea too, with comparisons over empty seats at Stamford Bridge compared to Highbury and fans wishing to be entertained rather than endure a dragged out 1-0 victory

Other tales from the background which make up the interesting nitty gritty of any sporting biography are Dennis Bergkamp the surprising practical joker, Lehmann’s inability to comprehend the English lack of punctuality compared to Germany and the etiquette of seating arrangements at football clubs.

Lehmann also delves into some of the folklore from his time as a player. The science behind the penalty save against Villarreal in the Champions League semi final in 2006; the red card in the subsequent final; and most fascinatingly of all the penalty shootout against Argentina in the quarter final of the 2006 World Cup and of course the piece of paper denoting the habits of the Argentina penalty takers – including how he was almost let down by the now legendary scrunched up piece of paper. Lehmann also discusses his transfer from Schalke to Dortmund and the bitter reaction brought about in the aftermath of that from both sets of fans; “this is not necessarily the best move you have ever made” he told himself upon his first Ruhr derby following the controversial transfer.

The book is definitely worth a read. Lehmann is an individual who is multi-layered, intelligent and articulate. It picks up on every significant aspect of his career and explains to the reader in a way, like all good books, to make the them keep turning for just one more page, then another, then another…

The Madness is on the Pitch by Jens Lehmann is available on Amazon HERE and from all good book stores.

Share18Tweet12Share5

Related Posts

VAR: the flop of the season
Current

VAR: the flop of the season

Usually, at the end of the season, the task is to review a team's performance or a players debut...

by Tom Cunningham
January 8, 2021
403
Film Review: Take the ball, Pass the Ball
Review

Film Review: Take the ball, Pass the Ball

‘The making of the greatest team in the world.’ This is the full title from Graham Hunter’s 2012 book...

by Matt Leslie
May 16, 2020
529
Steve Perryman Spurs
Review

Steve Perryman: A Spur Forever

The highest praise Steve Perryman gives is to describe something as “proper”. It means doing something not only in...

by Martin Cloake
February 8, 2020
388
Book review: Black Boots and Football Pinks by Daniel Gray
Review

Book review: Black Boots and Football Pinks by Daniel Gray

It seems only right that when we were approached to review a book with our name in its title...

by Pink
December 2, 2019
332
Load More
Next Post
Sibling Rivalry, part 5: The Knowles brothers – God’s footballers

Sibling Rivalry, part 5: The Knowles brothers - God's footballers

Diary of a refugee football club secretary (Part Six)
Current

Diary of a refugee football club secretary (Part Six)

by Chris Allen
January 16, 2021
0
338

In January 2018, Ullet Road Church Rebels were formed in Liverpool. The Rebels are the first club to field an...

Read more
The physio: The manager and his partnership with the medical team

The physio: The manager and his partnership with the medical team

January 15, 2021
360
Paolo Rossi: And the horns went quiet in Norton Street

Paolo Rossi: And the horns went quiet in Norton Street

January 14, 2021
550
Phil Parkes exclusive interview: ‘People don’t realise how good 1970s soccer was’

Phil Parkes exclusive interview: ‘People don’t realise how good 1970s soccer was’

January 13, 2021
431
Willie Hamilton: A Legacy Lost In Time

Willie Hamilton: A Legacy Lost In Time

January 13, 2021
385

© 2020 footballpink.net

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Gmail
  • Print Friendly
  • LinkedIn
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr