Oliver Bierhoff has reacted angrily to comments made by former German international goalkeeper Sepp Maier.

Germany head coach Jurgen Klinsmann recently gave Jens Lehmann wagerng the nod ahead of Oliver Kahn to keep goal during the World Cup and Maier, Kahn's coach at Bayern Munich, claims Klinsmann "sucked up" to Lehmann.

Maier was booted out of the national team set-up following the departure of Rudi Voller in 2004, when Klinsmann took over as coach with Joachim Low as his assistant and Bierhoff as general manager.

And speaking to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, the 1974 World Cup winner insists there is a link between Klinsmann, Bierhoff and Lehmann which meant Kahn never had a chance of being number one.

"Bierhoff's wife and Klinsmann's wife are the best of friends, and Bierhoff's wife is also a close friend of Lehmann's wife," Maier claimed.

"Bierhoff and the others all have the same manager, which makes them all intertwined.

"The DFB (German Football Association) just watches it all and that really annoys me."

But Bierhoff cannot understand Maier's grief and said: "His comments are scandalous.

"Not only does his choice of words show a lack of style, which is to be expected, but he has said things that simply are not true."