Stuttgart fine Lehmann

Stuttgart said Friday they have fined their ex-Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann for publicly criticising his club bosses for giving in to fan pressure prior to sack coach Markus Babbel.

“Our players can freely express themselves, but what he said was not to be tolerated and damaged the image of the club,” chairman Erwin Staudt said, without specifying the amount of the fine.

“Anyone can have an opinion and voice criticisms but that must not be done through the media,” Staudt told broadcaster Sky.

New coach Christian Gross said for his part: “I need players who roll their sleeves up. Jens knows the situation in which we find ourselves.”

Babbel was fired on Sunday and replaced by former Tottenham Hotspur boss Gross before the side’s impressive 3-1 win over Romania champions Unirea Urziceni on Wednesday to reach the last 16 of the Champions League.

Lehmann had claimed Stuttgart’s bosses simply bowed to the demands of angry fans who insisted Babbel was sacked following Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Bochum in the Bundesliga to leave them third from bottom in the table.

But Stuttgart’s general manager Horst Heldt, with the club winning just two of their 15 Bundesliga games under Babbel, said Lehmann was wrong, had been guilty of “egotism” and also warned of “consequences.”

“These are statements which of course we cannot tolerate.

Lehmann, 40, who retired from international football in August 2008, spoke out against Heldt and Stuttgart’s hierarchy last weekend, accusing them of listening to a group of hardcore supporters.

“There was a certain bunch of fans, most of whom are just going through puberty, and that’s what influenced the club in making certain decisions,” Lehmann told Sky.

“That’s the way it is in football.”

The Stuttgart goalkeeper said he was shocked after a groups of angry fans stopped the team bus to shout insults and chant death threats, prompting police intervention.