Lehmann may retire at end of season

Jens Lehmann has admitted he could retire at the end of the season if no club offers him the chance of playing regular soccer next season.

The veteran keeper lost his place in coach Arsène Wenger's starting 11 at the beginning of the season to Manuel Almunia and has since found further chances at Arsenal very limited.

With his current contract at the Emirates Stadium expiring at the end of the season, the 38-year-old stressed that he could end his career if he does not receive any interesting offers.

"I don't know what I will do after the summer," he told FIFA.com. "I will play the European Championship and then it depends on whether I get a good offer. If I do, I might play on another two years, and if not, I might retire probably."

Lehmann stated that he does not enjoy the best of relations with Almunia but guaranteed that to be normal among top clubs.

"When you compete with some guys they can't separate the professional aspect from the personal," the veteran revealed. "So there is no big friendship but that does not worry me."

"You can have friendships in football in smaller clubs where you know you have to stick together and you know that you are so dependent on each other.

"In bigger clubs another guy comes in, delivers the same quality and you don't care about the first guy any more."

Meanwhile, the German shot-stopper admitted that he was close to making a return to Borussia Dortmund during the January transfer window, but added that he opted for staying at Arsenal because he did not want to repeat the "Milan mistake" and because his family is happy with life in London.

"I stayed for several reasons," he said. "My experience from Milan, who I left too early, was one thing, and my family situation -- I didn't want to take my kids out of school here.

"And also the belief that I still can win something here and be part of it."