Lehmann No. 1 under Loew too

Berlin: Jens Lehmann will remain Germany?s No. 1 goalkeeper under new coach Joachim Loew. Lehmann, 36, became Germany?s first-choice ?keeper under Juergen Klinsmann. Klinsmann?s departure raised questions over the Arsenal player?s future. However, the German federation said Monday that Lehmann has agreed to stay on. ?Jens will continue to be our No. 1,? Loew said .

?I told him that I do not plan to rotate goalkeepers in future national team games. I want to justify the confidence that Loew has placed in me with good performances,? Lehmann said on Monday. Lehmann?s likely backup is Timo Hildebrand of Stuttgart.

Magath deal extended

Berlin: Coach Felix Magath had agreed to a one-year contract extension that will keep him at Bayern Munich until the end of 2008, the Bundesliga champions said on Monday. ?Both parties agree that one year is enough,? Bayern chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said in a statement on the club?s website. ?We had the impression in our talks that Felix Magath isn?t interested in a contract just for the purpose of job security either. He wants to stay here as long as he is successful.?

Juventus shares rise

Milan: Shares in Juventus rose 1.4 per cent to 1.48 euros in early Monday trade after Italy?s most successful soccer club were relegated to Serie B late on Friday as a punishment for match-fixing. Prosecutors had asked for it to be sent to the third-tier Serie C. Ex-champions Fiorentina and Lazio were also demoted to Serie B after a sports tribunal found the clubs guilty of offences in a match-fixing trial.

Amir new Iran coach

Tehran: Iran?s football federation has appointed Amir Qalenoei, the coach of league champions Esteghlal, as their new manager of the national side. He will replace Croatian Branko Ivankovic, who oversaw Iran?s first round exit at the World Cup in Germany, the federation said in its web site on Monday.

Clemente set to coach Serbia

Belgrade: Former Spain manager Javier Clemente is set to take over as head coach of the Serbian national side, Belgrade press reported on Monday. A national daily said Clemente would sign a two-year contract on Friday worth 700,000 euros a year, with the aim of taking Serbia to the Euro 2008 finals.

Two berths for Aussies

Melbourne: Two teams from Australia?s A League will be offered places in the 2007 Asian Champions League after the Asian Football Confederation decided to cut Thailand and Vietnam?s allocation. ?This decision was made based on the technical performance and match results of the Thai and Vietnamese clubs in recent seasons of the AFC Champions League,? a statement said on Monday.

Lance back in pack

Gap (France): Lance Armstrong was back in a familiar spot on Monday ? at the top of L?Alpe d?Huez. The retired seven-time Tour de France champion arrived at the Alpine ski resort on Monday?s Tour rest day. He will join former team director Johan Bruyneel in the Discovery Channel car for Tuesday?s gruelling 187km 15th stage from Gap to L?Alpe d?Huez. His presence should serve as motivation for former Discovery teammates ? none of whom are in the top 10 in the overall standings.

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