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Berlin (AFP) – Ex-Germany captain Philipp Lahm has confirmed he is taking legal advice over a spoof April Fool’s story gone wrong.
A Munich-based fitness start-up issued a grovelling apology to the World Cup winner over a fake April 1 story, which hit the German media last Saturday, falsely claiming he had invested in them.
The story even contained a fake quote attributed to the Bayern Munich star after an employee decided to circulate an internal newsletter to the German media without the knowledge of the company’s bosses.
“It was an April Fool’s joke which should have been sent exclusively to our members in a newsletter,” explained the company’s red-faced co-founder.
However, the stunt quickly backfired and although the firm apologised several times, Lahm failed to see the funny side with the prank having generated plenty of free publicity for the start-up.
“I’m taking advice and bringing the matter to the detailed attention of a lawyer,” said the 33-year-old, who will retire from all football in June, in a statement.
“The personal apology reached me, but nevertheless, the company has overstepped the mark with this action.
“We will now get in direct contact and look for a solution.”
The firm has already suggested making a donation to Lahm’s charity, The Philipp Lahm Foundation, in an attempt to make amends.

Germany's Philipp Lahm seeks legal advice over April Fool stunt

Germany's Philipp Lahm seeks legal advice over April Fool stunt - World Soccer Talk

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Berlin (AFP) – A Munich-based business has issued a grovelling apology to Philipp Lahm over a spoof April 1 story claiming he has invested in them with Germany’s ex-captain reportedly threatening legal action.
On Saturday, April 1, several German media outlets ran what later emerged to be a spoof story claiming Lahm, who will retire in June, has invested in the fitness start-up after the company newsletter carried a prank article.
The piece even contained a fake quote attributed to Bayern Munich star Lahm and an employee decided to circulate it to the media without the knowledge of the company’s co-founder Vahid Imani.
But the joke quickly backfired as Lahm’s management failed to see the funny side and have threatened to take the matter to court.
“This thing has nothing to do with fun. In our eyes, it is a cheap trick to use a celebratory for advertising,” Lahm’s advisor Roman Grill told German daily Bild, who had also briefly carried the spoof story.
The start-up firm say they have repeatedly apologised to Lahm’s management, but the spoof has already generated lots of free publicity.
“I am very sorry that we triggered such a wave with the ‘announcement’,” said Imani in a statement.
“The first of April no longer seems to be what it once was.
“We, as sportsmen, admit our mistake and will make offerings on how we can rectify things, like by making a donation to the Philipp Lahm Foundation.”
Imani says he actually met Lahm at a Bayern Munich function, gave him a business card and spoke to Germany’s World Cup winning skipper about the start-up, but nothing more came of it.&nbsp;

Lahm earns apology over April Fool joke

Lahm earns apology over April Fool joke - World Soccer Talk

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Berlin (AFP) – Germany’s World Cup winning captain Philipp Lahm on Tuesday confirmed he will retire at the end of the season and leave Bayern Munich, having rejected a role as sports director.
“I have decided to stop playing football at the end of the season,” Lahm said after Bayern’s 1-0 win over Wolfsburg in the third round of the German Cup.
“I am sure I can keep putting in the performances until the end of the season, but not after that,” added the Bayern captain, confirming an earlier press report.
“I first thought about the decision over a year ago and have been constantly checking it.
“I love football and it has given me a lot, but everything has to eventually come to an end and I wanted to decide that myself.”
Lahm explained why he has turned down the vacant sports director role, which would not have included a place on Bayern’s board following recent restructuring at the club.
“There were discussions and at the end of those I decided that it’s not the right time for me to step up with FC Bayern,” he said.
“I’ll be a private person again in the summer, then I’ll have time to take care of other things and to have a few conversations.”
The 33-year-old made his 500th appearance for Bayern last Saturday and will hang up his boots in June despite having a year left on his contract.
Lahm retired from international football after captaining Germany to the 2014 World Cup title in Brazil and making 113 appearances for die Mannschaft.
He joined Bayern as an 11-year-old in 1995 and, apart from a two-year loan spell at VfB Stuttgart, he has spent his entire career at the Bavarian giants.
He became club captain after Dutch hardman midfielder Mark van Bommel stood down in January 2011.
Lahm then skippered the Bayern to their 2013 Champions League victory at Wembley when they beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in the final.
That season, they became the first German club to complete the treble of Champions League, Bundesliga and German Cup.
With Bayern currently four points clear in the Bundesliga and through to the Cup quarter-finals, Lahm is well set to go out on a high and add to his seven league titles and six Cup victories.
With Lahm now out of the running, Borussia Moenchengladbach’s Max Eberl is now favourite to take over as Bayern’s director of sport after Matthias Sammer quit last year.
“We talked to Philipp Lahm, but there is no plan A, B or C,” Bayern’s president Uli Hoeness told broadcaster ARD.
“We have not talked to anyone else, but there will be a sports director starting on July 1.
“It is not about the power you have in that position, but about the responsibility.”&nbsp;

World Cup winner Lahm to retire at end of season

World Cup winner Lahm to retire at end of season - World Soccer Talk

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