Baller League: Former Arsenal keeper Jens Lehmann wants ‘Invincible spirit’ in new competition

Players earning £400 a game, goalkeepers unable to use their hands and ex-Premier League superstars rubbing shoulders with social media influencers… welcome to Baller League.

Former Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann is one of the ex-professionals signed up as a manager, alongside fellow ‘Invincibles’ Freddie Ljungberg and Robert Pires when the season kicks off on Monday.

The trio all played a big part in helping the Gunners make history in 2003-04, completing the Premier League season without losing a game.

Baller League was launched by German entrepreneur Felix Starck in his homeland in 2024.

It is a six-a-side format with 12 teams competing on indoor pitches every Monday at Copper Box Arena in London over 11 matchdays, with the top four teams in at the end of the season entering a ‘Final Four’ stage where they play a semi-final and a final to crown the champion.

Luis Figo, John Terry, Ian Wright and Chloe Kelly are among the other managers, while influencers Angry Ginge and Miniminter will also lead teams.

Although the Baller League title may not be as prestigious as the other trophies in Lehmann’s cabinet, having won the Premier League, Serie A and Bundesliga during his 24-year career, “losing is not an option” for the former Germany international.

“Sometimes I play charity games with Luis Figo, John Terry and Robert Pires and we always want to win,” Lehmann told BBC Sport.

“We won’t take our teams and say, ‘it doesn’t matter if you lose’. They know they have to win.

“If the Baller League can transfer that attitude from the managers into the squads then it’s going to be very exciting.”

After retiring in 2011, Lehmann, 55, worked as a goalkeeping coach at Arsenal and was assistant manager at Augsburg – neither of those roles are likely to prepare him for Baller League, though.

With limited time to work with players who are paid £400 for each matchday and rule twists – like long-range shots count double – it might come down to a strong relationship with Pires and Ljungberg in the dugout.

“We have always stayed connected, it’s always a pleasure to see them,” Lehmann added.

“I played padel in Ibiza with Robert [Pires] against my son Lasse and a friend of his and they thought they were winning, but they learned about the ‘Invincible’ spirit.”