Lahm, Schweinsteiger hit back at Kahn leadership criticism

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[وحدهم المديرون لديهم صلاحيات معاينة هذه الصورة] Philipp Lahm

Germany captain Philipp Lahm and midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger have hit back at criticism from former keeper Oliver Kahn over their alleged lack of leadership qualities.

Kahn had said in a contribution for Eurosport's website that the lack of real leaders on the field was one of the reasons German clubs had not won a title in Europe for 10 years.

Lahm, who is also Bayern captain, and Schweinsteiger, who is deputy captain for Bayern and Germany, represented the modern player generation, Kahn said.

Lahm told a news conference Tuesday on the eve of Bayern's Champions League qualifying play-off first leg against Zurich that he was not bothered by Kahn's views.

"What a former player says in some blog or writes does not interest us. It does not interest Bastian and it does not interest the team," he said.

Schweinsteiger was quoted in the daily Bild as saying: "I can recall exactly that Oliver Kahn used to hate nothing more than criticism from former team-mates via the media.

"From such a great a player I expect him to remember his own words."

Schweinsteiger said any team issues were analysed within the team and clearly spoken about, but unlike Kahn he and Lahm did not criticise players on the pitch.

Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes also leapt to the defence of Lahm and Schweinsteiger, saying they had a different style and it was not always necessary to bang your fists on the table.

"What they say carries weight in the team," he said. Kahn and former skippers Lothar Matthaeus and Stefan Effenberg were "different captains," he said.

Kahn, who won the Champions League with Bayern in 2001, said the European title drought for German clubs was possibly due to a playing generation "whose representatives Philipp Lahm and Bastian Schweinsteiger vehemently deny that a team nowadays needs real leaders" who sometimes had to speak "uncomfortable truths."

For players with leadership qualities "their own image is less important than success."

Kahn said that "without real leadership players the Bundesliga clubs will have to wait a long time for international titles."

As good examples of leaders on the pitch, Kahn named Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Carles Puyol, Xavi (both Barcelona), John Terry, Frank Lampard (both Chelsea) and former Bayern defender Lucio (Inter Milan).

[وحدهم المديرون لديهم صلاحيات معاينة هذه الصورة] Oliver Kahn