He has experienced for long enough the bitter in-fighting between Oliver Kahn and Jens Lehmann in the German national team. “Though they didn’t harm the team, the situation was not good for team morale or positive thinking”, says Timo Hildebrand about the controversial rows the two goalkeepers, both his senior by 10 years, brought to the German Football Association, DFB, squad. The 28-year-old prefers a completely different approach. Prior to the European Championship qualifier against the Czech Republic Timo Hildebrand explained calmly how he thinks the relationship between the goalkeepers of a team should be. “They should stop fighting each other, and play together”, Hildebrand disclosed.

Hildebrand earned his sixth cap, following his debut in April 2004, against the Czech Republic on October 17 as Jens Lehmann was suspended as a result of the yellow card he received during the 0-0 draw against Ireland in Dublin the previous Saturday. After a few difficulties at the start, the former Stuttgart goalkeeper has ensured a regular spot in goal for FC Valencia, while at the same time Jens Lehmann has lost his first team role with Arsenal FC. But Hildebrand did not assume that this situation would automatically entitle him to become number one with the DFB team. “The hierarchy has been fixed, the roles are clear”, Hildebrand said. “Jens performed excellently in Dublin.” He considers himself as first substitute goalkeeper who may occasionally replace Lehmann. “He is the number two”, said DFB goalkeeping coach Andreas Koepke.

According to this assurance from the 1996 UEFA European Football Championship™, Timo is in a “sandwich role”. Lehmann holds him out from above while from below Hanoverian Robert Enke fights to claim the number two spot, according to Koepke. However, Hildebrand’s position as first substitute is not really questioned. He performed well and couldn’t prevent the defeat by the Czechs, especially as the players in front of him were not fully focussed after achieving qualification for the UEFA European Football Championship™ finals.

“This 3-0 loss to the Czechs was quite heavy, and really annoyed me. Of course I wanted to show what I’m capable of after Jens Lehmann’s suspension and his good match in Ireland. And I was fully motivated by the great atmosphere in Munich. But then you concede, from nowhere, the first goal after two minutes. Then you don’t have anything to do, and almost immediately the second goal goes in. My God, I was upset. And after the third I simply had to show my frustration – I kicked the ball into the air”, Hildebrand recounted in his diary on his Internet site(http://www.timo-hildebrand.de/).

It is fine for Joachim Loew that Hildebrand is not interested in a goalkeeping war as fought between Kahn and Lehmann. “We are pleased that the relationship between the goalkeepers is respectful and intact. It is a good sign as they communicate and talk to each other”, said the national coach. Only in training with the DFB team the two goalkeepers try to outdo each other. However, the friendly cooperation between the goalkeepers should not become the norm, according to Loew. In order to prevent another weak performance in the upcoming international matches against Cyprus in Hanover on November 17, and against Wales in Frankfurt/Main on November 21, following the qualification for the UEFA EURO finals, the national coach is consciously stirring up the competition between the 35 candidates for the 23 places in the UEFA European Football Championship™ squad. “There is competition as never before”, Loew says.

When Hildebrand returned to Valencia, his team, at present riding high in Spain, had to play away against Deportivo La Coruna. Hildebrand was in the Valencia goal in the four previous matches in the Primera Division and also in the Champions League game against Chelsea FC. But this time he was sitting on the bench again. Coach Quique Flores decided in favour of Santiago Canizares in La Coruna. The “oldie” has retired from international engagements so could train in Valencia with the players who were not involved in international duty. The German number two took it calmly. He also has a good relationship with Canizares. “It is up to yourself how you deal with rivalry”, he said in an interview with the Stuttgart daily, “Stuttgarter Zeitung”.

“Sometimes the harder way is the better. I need the challenge. The top players are in Spain, I can improve there”, he said. He has the right frame of mind to succeed at Valencia in the long term. And this club is certainly not any club. While VfB Stuttgart are currently having great difficulties after winning the German title, Valencia are once again at the top. Timo’s team trailed just one point behind leaders Real Madrid but one point ahead of FC Barcelona after the eighth round of matches on October 20-21.