Former Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann has reportedly been charged by police after allegedly taking a chainsaw to his neighbour’s garage. The incident occurred at his property near Lake Starnberg in Bavaria, Germany. Lehmann has been in a dispute with his neighbour for some time and allegedly took the drastic action to gain an unobstructed view of the lake from his house. However, the 53-year-old has denied all allegations made against him by prosecutors and has taken to social media to clear his name.
The Allegations Against Lehmann
According to Suddeutsche Zeitung, prosecutors claim that Lehmann tampered with a surveillance camera by tearing out a cable before sawing off some of a roof beam with a chainsaw. The incident is alleged to have occurred last July while the neighbour’s garage was mid-construction. Despite the camera being tampered with, it continued to film using an inbuilt battery, and footage supposedly captures Lehmann in the act. The former Germany international has also been charged with fraud in an unrelated matter.
Lehmann’s Denial
Lehmann has denied all charges made against him and posted on Twitter that “the allegations made against me are not correct.” He went on to explain that the fraud allegations made against him concern an unpaid parking ticket over €90. The former Arsenal star expressed his frustration at the damage caused to his reputation and disregard for privacy.
Lehmann’s Career at Arsenal
Lehmann spent five years at Arsenal after joining from Borussia Dortmund in 2003. In his first year at Highbury, he played every Premier League match as the Gunners famously went unbeaten during the league season, winning the league in the process. He also started the 2006 Champions League final, a match that Arsenal lost to Barcelona. However, Lehmann was sent off after just 18 minutes, leaving Arsenal with a massive task as Manuel Almunia stood in for the rest of the contest.
Lehmann made a grand return to Arsenal just three years after leaving when he made one appearance in 2011, coming out of retirement in the process. After hanging up his gloves for a second time, he spent a spell coaching at the Gunners.
Conclusion
Jens Lehmann’s alleged actions have led to charges being brought against him by police. The former Arsenal goalkeeper has been accused of taking a chainsaw to his neighbour’s garage in an attempt to gain an unobstructed view of Lake Starnberg. Despite denying all allegations made against him, Lehmann’s reputation has been damaged. The former Germany international spent five years at Arsenal and played a crucial role in their unbeaten Premier League season in 2003/04. He also started the 2006 Champions League final but was sent off after just 18 minutes. After retiring from football, Lehmann returned to Arsenal briefly before spending time coaching at the club.