“They nearly started to fight each other” - Jens Lehmann
Speaking to beIN SPORTS, Jens Lehmann shares all the details from the Battle of Old Trafford
The 0-0 draw between Manchester United and Arsenal in September 2003 might not have had the most as far as goals go, but the game was filled with drama, having been known since as “The Battle of Old Trafford”.
Speaking to beIN SPORTS this week was Jens Lehmann, the goalkeeper for Arsenal that day during what proved to be a pivotal moment in a historic season for the North London side.
“I remember there were two crowds of people confronting each other, and I “spilled” some of my water onto them,” Lehmann says, laughing.
Having only recently joined Arsenal from Borussia Dortmund to replace club legend David Seaman, Lehmann had always been known for his confrontational nature and volatile personality, Lehmann had collected a string of bookings, dismissals, and suspensions while playing for Dortmund, including kicking SC Freiburg’s Soumaila Coulibaly during a league game in March 2002.
Unseen by officials during the game, the incident was later reviewed, with Lehmann handed a 4-match ban, adding to his poor disciplinary record, but the German goalkeeper was able to make light of his involvement at the Battle of Old Trafford.
“It was funny! It was funny to watch and I wasn’t involved,” he says, mindful of the fact that he holds the Premier League record for the goalkeeper most bookings in a single season. “You always expect me to be involved, but I wasn’t involved in this situation!”
Much had been made in the build-up to the game of the animosity between Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, in charge of Manchester United and Arsenal respectively.
With United having dominated for long periods before Wenger’s arrival and subsequent challenge to the status quo, the feud had been red-hot for a number of seasons, Arsenal eliminating United from the FA Cup the previous year, the aftermath of which saw the start of the famous fallout between Ferguson and David Beckham.
United had won the Premier League, and during a hot-tempered Community Shield in which Sol Campbell was eventually banned for kicking Eric Djemba-Djemba and Francis Jeffers had been sent off, Lehmann, making his debut, would save a Ruud Van Nistelrooy penalty in the shootout (though Arsenal would eventually lose).
On that fateful day at Old Trafford, Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira was sent off for two late bookings, and in the final minute United were awarded a controversial penalty, which Van Nistelrooy would fail to convert once more, faced with Lehmann.
The players would be involved in a scuffle at the final whistle, with Ashley Cole, Ryan Giggs, and Cristiano Ronaldo among those charged with improper conduct, though the confrontations would continue off the pitch in what would be another chapter in a legendary rivalry.
“I was looking into the eyes of Arsene (Wenger) because he was having Alex Ferguson at the short distance like that,” says Lehmann, fist clenched before his own face.
“He grabbed him. Each of them was very angry and they nearly started to fight each other… So it wasn’t about me or the players, it was about the managers!”
Watch Ryan Giggs, John Barnes, and Jens Lehmann on The Champions Club hosted by Angus Scott on Tuesday at 21:00 Mecca on beIN SPORTS HD11. Check www.bein.net for updates and local listings for The Champions Club and more of the latest and greatest sports and entertainment content you can enjoy from the comfort of your home.
