Football
Mattias Karen, Arsenal correspondent 7y

Jens Lehmann confirms pending appointment as Arsenal coach

Former Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann has confirmed that he will return to the club to take up a coaching role.

Lehmann has been in talks about becoming one of the first-team coaches working directly under manager Arsene Wenger, and confirmed his pending appointment to German newspaper Die Welt.

"Yes, it's true," the former Germany international said.

Lehmann is expected to work with both outfield players and the goalkeepers in what will be his first senior coaching job.

He would be the most significant addition to Wenger's backroom staff this season, with Arsenal having promised to make significant changes following a disappointing fifth-place Premier League finish.

The club have Arsenal having already hired a new high-performance director in Darren Burgess to oversee the fitness regime and a contract negotiator in Huss Fahmy. Unlike those two, however, Lehmann would be in direct daily contact with players on the training pitch and will be able to share his experience of being part of a Premier League-winning side.

Lehmann was signed by Wenger in 2003 to replace David Seaman and was a member of the "Invincibles" side that went unbeaten in winning the 2003-04 title.

As a player, he was known for being outspoken both on and off the pitch, with the kind of winning mentality that Arsenal's current players have been accused of lacking.

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