Jens Lehmann

Schalke 04

Lehmann started his career in the 1988–89 season with Schalke 04, playing for them for nearly a decade. His first years were rocky, notably a game against Bayer Leverkusen in 1993 in which he conceded three goals and was substituted after 45 minutes, causing him to flee the stadium alone by tram rather than taking the team bus, but Lehmann gradually established himself as a strong keeper lauded for his ability to intercept crosses. He scored his first league goal on 12 March 1995 in a 6–2 victory over 1860 Munich in the 84th minute, scoring Schalke's sixth goal from the penalty spot. His second goal was a last-minute equaliser scored against bitter rivals, Borussia Dortmund, in the Revierderby on 19 December 1997. Lehmann became Schalke's team hero in their 1997 UEFA Cup Final victory over Inter Milan, after playing a strong season and saving an Iván Zamorano penalty in a penalty shootout.

AC Milan

Lehmann left Schalke for AC Milan in 1998, but his performances were below par. In one game Gabriel Batistuta scored a hat-trick against him, including a goal from a free kick in the box which Lehmann had conceded by handling a back pass. In another game he was substituted after giving away a penalty. After just five matches, Lehmann was dropped. Believing he wouldn't get another chance at Milan, he left during the winter.

Borussia Dortmund

In early 1999, Lehmann returned to Germany to play for Borussia Dortmund replacing long-time goalkeeper…

Lehmann made his debut for the Germany national team against Oman in February 1998 and earned 61 caps for his country, 32 of which were friendlies. He had a well-publicised rivalry with former Bayern Munich goalkeeper Oliver Kahn, whose presence long prevented Lehmann from becoming the number one goalkeeper of the national team. Lehmann was in the squad which finished as runners-up in the 2002 World Cup, but he didn't play any matches in the competition, as Kahn was still Germany's first choice goalkeeper. On 7 April 2006, however, Germany national coach Jürgen Klinsmann announced that Lehmann would be Germany's first-choice goalkeeper for the upcoming World Cup. Lehmann conceded two goals in Germany's opening match of the World Cup, both scored by Costa Rica's Paulo Wanchope although Germany won the match 4–2. Lehmann played strongly in the next three games, conceding no goals and allowing Germany to sweep their group undefeated and beat Sweden convincingly in the Round of 16. The highlight of Lehmann's international career came in the quarterfinal match (30 June 2006, Olympiastadion, Berlin) against Argentina. The game remained tied 1–1 after 90 minutes and extra time. The game came down to penalty kicks and Lehmann carried his team through, picking the right direction for all spot kicks, making saves from Argentinians Roberto Ayala and Esteban Cambiasso and almost saving a third. Meanwhile, the Germans made all four of the necessary spot kicks to win the penalty shoot-out…

Considered to be one of the best goalkeepers in the world in his prime, as well as one of the best goalkeepers in the history of the Premier League, and one of Arsenal's and Germany's greatest goalkeepers, Lehmann was a talented and experienced keeper, who was renowned for his agility, reflexes, strength, and acrobatic shot-stopping abilities; however, he was also known for his efficiency rather than spectacular playing style. A well–rounded goalkeeper, he was also highly regarded in the media for his distribution with either foot, as well as his handling, physical presence, positioning, reading of the game, and his ability to come off his line and collect or punch crosses, which allowed him to command his area effectively. He was also known for his eccentric personality, and for being extremely outspoken. Moreover, he possessed a strong mentality, tactical sense, and leadership qualities, and was also known for his ability to handle pressure and communicate with his back–line. One of the best goalkeepers of his generation, his playing style served as an inspiration for Manuel Neuer. However, despite his ability, he was also known to be inconsistent at times.

In May 2020, Tennor Holding BV named Lehmann, among others, as its representative on the supervisory board of Hertha BSC. One year later, he was sacked after sending pundit and former footballer Dennis Aogo a WhatsApp message calling him a "quota black guy", in relation to Aogo's work as an expert at Sky. Lehmann had previously apologized via a Twitter post. In November 2024, it was announced that he's set to manage one of the 12 teams in the upcoming Baller League UK, a six-a-side football league.