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'Paris 2006? No, it doesn't get easier with time'

Jens Lehmann
Jens Lehmann

In May 2006, we lost 2-1 to Barcelona in the Champions League final on a painful night in Paris. 

Jens Lehmann became the first player to be sent off in a European Cup final after bringing down Samuel Eto'o on the edge of the box after 18 minutes. 

 

Speaking exclusively to our 'In Lockdown' podcast, our former goalkeeper explained his memories of that infamous night. 

  

"No, [it doesn't get easier with time],” Lehmann said. “You regret it more and more. It was in the spur of the moment and it just happened. It was probably down to the fact that we hadn't conceded any goals and I just wanted to get going. I should have dropped off a little bit more but I didn't know how fast [Samuel] Eto'o was. It was the first time I played against him. 

 

"I was very sorry because Robert Pires was taken off. I went to sit in the stands and my sons came to me and we were very, very sad. We could have got a fantastic [result] at the end but Juliano Belletti scored. I met him a couple of years ago and he had good memories of me.

 

"It was very unfortunate circumstances but have you realised that after that red card, nobody else had been sent off in a final unless it was the 90th minute and the score was already clear and decided. During the major part of the game, nobody has been sent off.”

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