MUNICH, Germany (AFP) - Bayern Munich's German international goalkeeper Oliver Kahn has come under fire for Saturday's attack on Werder Bremen striker Miroslav Klose.
Kahn, 35, raced towards international team-mate Klose in the 43rd minute of the 2-1 win over Bremen at the Weserstadion and pushed his gloves into the nose of the Polish-born striker.
Kahn claims Klose landed a late blow to his kidney but television replays show no evidence.
"What Olli did was by no means ok," raged general manager Uli Hoeness. "We told Olli that actions such as that endanger his reputation."
Even Kahn's goalkeeping coach and long-term friend, Sepp Maier, put the boot in.
"That was a stupid thing he did with Klose," Maier told Munich newspaper AZ. "He should know that himself."
Bremen manager Thomas Schaaf was infuriarted by the incident and did not hold back in criticising Kahn.
"That sort of action does not belong on the pitch and should not be accepted," said Schaaf.
Kahn has a reputation for having a short fuse and he earned the unwanted nickname 'Genghis Kahn' after a kung-fu kick attack on Borussia Dortmund's Stephane Chapuisat in April 1999.
But Germany coach Jurgen Klinsmann was unaffacted by the incident claiming it was part and parcel of football.
"I do not think two international team-mates going for one another should be blown up," said Klinsmann. "It is an emotional moment that can happen in the match. That will also happen two months before the World Cup."
Klose and Kahn will avoid one another when Germany face Iran on Saturday in Tehran with Klinsmann opting to rest Kahn and hand a starting chance to Arsenal's Jens Lehmann.