Lehmann stands aside for Kahn

Jürgen Klinsmann has hailed the peace pact between his goalkeepers Jens Lehmann and Oliver Kahn as one of his great stories of the World Cup.

Lehmann was handed the No 1 jersey on the eve of the finals and was the hero of the penalty shoot-out win against Argentina, in the quarter-final, but will step aside for the 37-year-old Kahn to play in the match for third place against Portugal today.

Klinsmann said: "Oliver Kahn will play. We owe him that gesture and no one in this world would begrudge him that privilege. He has played a vital role, almost like a member of the backroom staff.

"He has had a great influence on the development and maturing process of the young players. I have spoken to Jens and he has no problem with it. He is full of compliments for Oliver."

Michael Ballack will miss the play-off in Stuttgart as he rests the calf injury which has nagged him through the tournament.

Klinsmann is under pressure to commit his future to the national team but said: " I will decide with my family. The German FA understands what I want and I am thinking about it but now my focus is on Portugal. The opinion polls are positive because we have been on a run at the World Cup. I do not think much to them but I prefer to receive those compliments than to get stick for not living in Germany."

Klinsmann rejected the idea that he might quit to manage the United States team. He said: "There has been no contact at all and there is no interest at all."

Klinsmann's team will return to Berlin after the game in Stuttgart to be presented to fans at the Bradenburg Gate.

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