Oliver Kahn

Personal information
Full name	Oliver Rolf Kahn
Date of birth	(1969-06-15) 15 June 1969 (age 43)
Place of birth	Karlsruhe, West Germany
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Youth career
1975–1987	Karlsruher SC
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1987–1990	Karlsruher SC II	73	(0)
1987–1994	Karlsruher SC	128	(0)
1994–2008	Bayern Munich	429	(0)
Total		630	(0)
National team
1994–2006	Germany	86	(0)
Honours Bayern Munich Runner-up DFB-Supercup 1994 Winner UEFA Cup 1996 Winner Bundesliga 1997 Winner DFB-Ligapokal 1997 Winner DFB-Pokal 1998 Winner DFB-Ligapokal 1998 Winner Bundesliga 1999 Runner-up DFB-Pokal 1999 Runner-up UEFA Champions League 1999 Winner DFB-Ligapokal 1999 Winner Bundesliga 2000 Winner DFB-Pokal 2000 Winner DFB-Ligapokal 2000 Winner Bundesliga 2001 Winner UEFA Champions League 2001 Runner-up UEFA Super Cup 2001 Winner Intercontinental Cup 2001 Winner Bundesliga 2003 Winner DFB-Pokal 2003 Winner DFB-Ligapokal 2004 Winner Bundesliga 2005 Winner DFB-Pokal 2005 Winner Bundesliga 2006 Winner DFB-Pokal 2006 Runner-up DFB-Ligapokal 2006 Winner DFB-Ligapokal 2007 Winner Bundesliga 2008 Winner DFB-Pokal 2008  Germany Winner European Championship 1996 Runner-up FIFA World Cup 2002 Third FIFA Confederations Cup 2005 Third FIFA World Cup 2006
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Oliver Rolf Kahn (German pronunciation: [ˈɔ.lɪ.vɐ ˈkʰaːn], byname Der Titan [deɐ̯ ti.ˈtʰaːn] (the Titan); born 15 June 1969)^[2] is a former German football goalkeeper. He started his career in the Karlsruher SC Junior team. He had his debut game in the professional squad in 1987. In 1994, he was transferred to Bayern Munich for the fee of 4,600,000 DM, where he played until the end of his career in 2008.

He is one of the most successful German players in recent history, having won eight German championships, six German cups, the UEFA Cup (1996), the UEFA Champions League and the Intercontinental Cup (both 2001). His individual contributions have earned him four consecutive UEFA Best European Goalkeeper awards, three IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper awards, and two German Footballer of the Year trophies. At the 2002 FIFA World Cup, he became the first and only goalkeeper in the tournament's history to win the Golden Ball.

From 1994 to 2006, Kahn was part of the German national team, in which he played as a starter after the retirement of Andreas Köpke. In the 2002 FIFA World Cup, the team reached the Finals. While the team was several times derided for their poor performance, Kahn's prowess proved to be the deciding factor in several games up until the final, where Germany lost to Brazil 0–2 and Kahn received criticism for two blunders.^[3] Nonetheless, he was named the tournament's best player and received the Golden Ball award.

Club career[link]

Karlsruher SC[link]

At the age of six, Kahn joined Karlsruher SC, where his father Rolf had played from 1962 to 1965. He started as an outfield player before becoming goalkeeper.^[4] He was included at the team's professional squad in the 1987–88 season of the first Bundesliga division, at first being the reserve goalkeeper behind Alexander Famulla. On 27 November 1987, Kahn made his league debut in a 4–0 home victory against 1. FC Köln. However, not until 1990 did manager Winfried Schäfer decide to start him over Famulla.^[5] In the following years, Kahn established himself as the team's starting goalkeeper. He was considered a key player and a motivator in the Karlsruher squad which reached the semi finals in the 1993–94 UEFA Cup.^[6] During the round of sixteen the team accomplished a 7–0 rout of Valencia at its home field after losing the first match 1–3 at the Mestalla Stadium. The game was nicknamed the "Miracle at Wildparkstadion" by the German media.^[7] The team was defeated by the SV Austria Salzburg in the semifinal.^[8]

Bayern Munich[link]

Kahn's performance for Karlsruher SC prompted Bayern Munich to express interest in acquiring him.^[9] The team signed him as a replacement for Raimond Aumann at the beginning of the 1994–95 season, for the at that time record fee of 4,600,000 DM (€2,385,000) for his position,^[5] and was established as Bayern’s starting goalkeeper. Although suffering a rupture of his cruciate ligament, which kept him off the field for almost six months, he played his first game for Germany's national team two months after his return.^[10] Bayern defeated Bordeaux in the 1996 UEFA Cup Final.^[11] In the 1996–97 Bundesliga season, Kahn archived his first German championship with Bayern Munich, the German League Cup,^[12] and was named German goalkeeper of the year for the second time in his career (the first in 1994).^[1]

In 1999, Bayern Munich reached the 1999 Champions League Final, facing Manchester United at Camp Nou. Although Bayern Munich player Mario Basler scored an early goal in the sixth minute of the game, two goals by Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær in injury time led to United's victory.^[13] The same year, he was named World Goalkeeper of the Year by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics.^[14]

Kahn was sent off in an incident against Hansa Rostock on 3 March 2001. With his Bayern Munich team losing 2–3 in the final minutes, he snuck into the area during a corner kick, jumped up, and punched the ball into the opponent’s net. He immediately received a red card, which dismissed him from the game.^[15] He was named Man of the Match when he was part of the squad which played the 2001 Champions League title against Valencia.^[16] He played an important role in the penalty shootout held after the teams remained tied 1–1 after extra time, making three saves.^[17][18] He also received the UEFA Fair Play Award for this match, after he walked up to a disappointed Santiago Cañizares, the opposition goalkeeper, after the penalties and attempted to comfort him.^[19] The same year, Bayern Munich won the International Cup at Tokyo's National Stadium against the Argentine team Boca Juniors.^[18]

By Kahn's account, injuries, personal problems and a lack of motivation were responsible for his game going into a rapid decline during the 2002–03 season.^[20][21] This culminated with Kahn allowing a seemingly soft shot by Roberto Carlos into the net against Real Madrid in the first knockout-round of the 2003–04 Champions League season, contributing to the elimination of his team from the competition.^[22] The Daily Mail criticized him for his mistake: "Once again on the big occasion Kahn was undone by a Brazilian, just as he was in the 2002 World Cup Final. Only this time it was a Roberto Carlos free-kick which he let slip, not a Ronaldo shot, for a goal as embarrassing as it is potentially catastrophic for Bayern".^[23] Bayern Munich won the next Bundesliga season with Kahn.

Prior to a 2006 match against Arminia Bielefeld in Munich, Michael Rensing peppered Kahn with practice shots. One shot hit Kahn squarely in the eye, causing enough swelling and discoloration to keep him from playing. With Rensing in goal, Bayern Munich won the match 2–0.^[24]

Oliver Kahn at his testimonial match in September 2008

Kahn announced his intention to honor his contract and play through the 2007–08 season.^[25] As of 2011, he is the all time clean sheet leader in the history of the Bundesliga, with 197.^[26] On 2 September 2007, aged 38, he played his 535th Bundesliga match, becoming the league's all time leader among goalkeepers in matches played.^[27] Kahn made his final European appearance for Bayern in a 4–0 defeat to Zenit Saint Petersburg in the UEFA cup semi-final on 1 May 2008.^[28] His last Bundesliga game was the 4–1 victory against Hertha Berlin on 17 May.^[29]

After a twenty year-career, of which he played fourteen with Bayern, he had his professional farewell in a testimonial match versus the select Germany XI on 2 September 2008, which ended 1–1.^[30] His last appearance for Bayern Munich was on 27 May 2008 at the Salt Lake Stadium (Yuvabharati Krirangan), Kolkata in a friendly against Mohun Bagan of India during Bayern's Asian tour of 2008. Around 120,000 people turned up for the match. The match ended 0–3 in favour of Bayern and Michael Rensing substituted him in the 55th minute.^[31]

International career[link]

Kahn was initially called for the German national team as a late back-up for the 1994 FIFA World Cup;^[32] however he made his first international appearance in a 2–1 victory against Switzerland on 23 June 1995,^[33] two months after recovering from his cruciate ligament injury.^[10] Along with Oliver Reck, Kahn was a reserve keeper of the squad, which won the 1996 UEFA European Football Championship in England.^[34][35] He spent the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France on the bench, and it was not until Andreas Köpke announced his retirement at the end of the tournament that Kahn became the starting goalkeeper.^[36] Two years after the 2000 UEFA European Football Championship, in which defending champions Germany made an embarrassing exit in the group stage,^[37] Kahn received the squad's captaincy, succeeding the striker Oliver Bierhoff.^[38]

Kahn experienced one of his worst performances in his international career against England in Munich in 2001. Germany were favored to win as they had beaten England in 2000 1–0 at Wembley stadium.^[39] However, they were routed 5–1, including a hat-trick by Michael Owen.^[40] Despite the defeat, Germany qualified for the World Cup after winning a playoff against Ukraine, and Kahn remained as Germany's number one for the upcoming Cup.^[41][42] Kahn was named the best goalkeeper in the world by IFFHS for the second time in his career.^[43]

Despite Germany's comparatively low expectations when for the 2002 FIFA World Cup,^[44] the team advanced to the finals; Kahn allowed only three goals in the course of the competition, two of which were in the Final.^[45] Playing the final match with torn ligaments in his right ring finger, Kahn allowed the first goal by fumbling a rebounded shot from Rivaldo to the feet of striker Ronaldo in the 67th minute. Once the game was over with Brazil as the new champion, he stood alone and disappointed in his goal;^[46] nevertheless he refused to blame his injury for his mistake.^[47]

The FIFA Technical Study Group awarded him with the Lev Yashin Award for the best goalkeeper of the tournament, and became the first goalkeeper in history to win the Golden Ball for the best individual performance.^[48] He also became the first German goalkeeper to keep five clean sheets in a World Cup tournament.^[49] Kahn maintained his number one spot for the 2004 UEFA European Football Championship,^[50] but Germany were once again eliminated in the group stage. Oliver Kahn gave up his captaincy to Michael Ballack after the tournament.^[51]

Germany's new manager Jürgen Klinsmann, who replaced Rudi Völler, adopted the strategy of rotating the number one spot between Kahn and his longtime competitor, Jens Lehmann of Arsenal, to stimulate competition between the two.^[52] On 7 April 2006, after two years of dispute for the position Klinsmann announced Lehmann was his first-choice goalkeeper for the 2006 World Cup.^[53] Kahn decided to stay on as a backup for the competition; despite their acrimonious pre-tournament battle for Germany’s starting role, Kahn openly accepted Klinsmann’s decision. Kahn and Lehmann embraced and shook hands as the former offered words of encouragement before the quarter-final penalty shootout against Argentina.^[54] In the postgame conference, Kahn publicly praised Lehmann for his two decisive penalty saves.^[55]

After Germany was eliminated in the semi-finals by Italy, Kahn was given the start for the third place play-off held on 8 July 2006, which Germany won 3–1 against Portugal. In what was his last international appearance for Germany, he also received the captaincy of the team in the absence of the injured Michael Ballack.^[56] Although overshadowed by Bastian Schweinsteiger’s game-winning performance in the match, Kahn played to a high standard, pulling off several saves.^[57] Kahn deflected a shot by Portuguese forward Pauleta after he beat the German defence, and later saved Deco's shot made from just inside the penalty area.^[58] Following the match, Oliver Kahn announced his retirement from the German National Team.^[56] Throughout his international career he earned 86 caps for Germany, including 49 as team captain.^[59] He never won a World Cup, but finished as runner-up in 2002 and third in 2006.^[16][60]

Television career[link]

After the 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, he joined the ZDF sports team as an analyst for the German National Team's games.^[61] In 2009, he was part of the jury of a China Central Television reality show, which aimed to find China's best young goalkeeper.^[62] As of 2011, he started negotiations with television channel Sat.1 to introduce the same format to German television under the name Never give up - The Kahn Principle, in which the winner would receive a contract to play for a Bundesliga club.^[63]

Personal life[link]

Kahn was born in Karlsruhe. He is of Latvian descent;^[64] he had a Latvian grandmother and his father was born in Liepāja, where he remains well-known.^[65] He has an older brother named Axel, who played in the second division for the Karlsruher.^[66] In 2010, Kahn ended his ten-year marriage with his wife Simone, with whom he has had two children.^[67] In February 2011 his girlfriend Svenja gave birth to a son.^[68]

In 2009, he was offered the position of manager for the FC Schalke 04, which he turned down.^[69] Two years thereafter, in April 2011, a German court fined Kahn €125,000 ($182,223) for tax evasion after failing to declare more than €6,000 of luxury clothing he bought on a trip to Dubai.^[70]

He supports the Munich street-football league Bunt kickt gut,^[71] which is considered a pioneer project of organized street-football and a Germany and Europa-wide model of intercultural understanding, education values and prevention;^[72] the Sepp-Herberger foundation, which promotes football in schools, clubs, and prisons;^[73] and the Justin Rockola Association, whose goal is the protection of young people against violence, alcohol and drugs.^[74]

He received his coaching license in 2010.^[63]

Reputation[link]

Kahn is widely admired for the stamina he showed to overcome the stresses and pressures of his career.^[75] His profile on the Bayern Munich website lists his attributes as "impatient, disciplined, ambitious".^[1]

During the 2002 World Championship in Japan and South Korea, Kahn gained popularity in Asia.^[76] He was depicted in several television commercials, including one for the Shinkin bank.^[77] In 2008, his wax figure in the Berlin branch of the Madame Tussaud museum was inaugurated.^[78] Kahn is the subject of the song Olli Kahn by the German pop group Die Prinzen.^[79]

Due to the formidable presence and influence that he showed during his professional career, Kahn's epithet is "The Titan".^[80]

Career statistics[link]

¹ Includes German Super Cup^[81]

^[81]

Honours[link]

Bayern Munich[link]

Source:^[1]

• Bundesliga (8): 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008
• DFB-Pokal (6): 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008
• German League Cup (6): 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2007
• UEFA Cup (1): 1996
• UEFA Champions League (1): 2001
• Intercontinental Cup (1): 2001

International[link]

Source:^[14]

• UEFA European Championship: 1996
• FIFA Confederations Cup Third Place: 2005
• FIFA World Cup Second Place: 2002
• FIFA World Cup Third Place: 2006

Individual[link]

Source:^[82]

• UEFA Champions League Man of the Match: 2001
• UEFA Fair-Play Award: 2001
• German Footballer of the Year: 2000, 2001
• Runner Up FIFA World Player of the Year: 2002
• European Footballer of the Year Bronze Ball: 2001, 2002
• IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper: 1999, 2001, 2002
• UEFA Club Football Awards – Best Goalkeeper: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
• Best European Goalkeeper: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
• Best Bundesliga Keeper: 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
• FIFA World Cup Golden Ball: 2002
• Yashin Award: 2002
• FIFA World Cup awards: All-Star Team 2002
• FIFA 100

Further reading[link]

• Nummer eins, Droemer/Knaur 2004, ISBN 3-426-27346-2
• Ich. Erfolg kommt von Innen, riva premium Verlag 2008, ISBN 3-936994-99-4
• Du packst es! Wie du schaffst, was du willst Pendo/Piper Verlag 2010, ISBN 978-3-86612-279-6

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Oliver Kahn

• Official website (German)
• Oliver Kahn – FIFA competition record
• Oliver Kahn's profile on Bayern Munich's Official Site
• Oliver Kahn's article in Encyclopædia Britannica

Germany Squad v t e Germany squad – 1994 FIFA World Cup 1 Illgner 2 Strunz 3 Brehme 4 Kohler 5 Helmer 6 Buchwald 7 Möller 8 Häßler 9 Riedle 10 Matthäus (c) 11 Kuntz 12 Köpke 13 Völler 14 Berthold 15 Gaudino 16 Sammer 17 Wagner 18 Klinsmann 19 Kirsten 20 Effenberg 21 Basler 22 Kahn Coach: Vogts v t e Germany squad – UEFA Euro 1996 Winners (3rd Title) 1 Köpke 2 Reuter 3 Bode 4 Freund 5 Helmer 6 Sammer 7 Möller 8 Scholl 9 Bobic 10 Häßler 11 Kuntz 12 Kahn 13 Basler 14 Babbel 15 Kohler 16 Schneider 17 Ziege 18 Klinsmann (c) 19 Strunz 20 Bierhoff 21 Eilts 22 Reck 23 Todt Coach: Vogts v t e Germany squad – 1998 FIFA World Cup 1 Köpke 2 Wörns 3 Heinrich 4 Kohler 5 Helmer 6 Thon 7 Möller 8 Matthäus 9 Kirsten 10 Häßler 11 Marschall 12 Kahn 13 Jeremies 14 Babbel 15 Freund 16 Hamann 17 Ziege 18 Klinsmann (c) 19 Reuter 20 Bierhoff 21 Tarnat 22 Lehmann Coach: Vogts v t e Germany squad – UEFA Euro 2000 1 Kahn 2 Babbel 3 Rehmer 4 Linke 5 Bode 6 Nowotny 7 Scholl 8 Häßler 9 Kirsten 10 Matthäus 11 Rink 12 Lehmann 13 Ballack 14 Hamann 15 Wosz 16 Jeremies 17 Ziege 18 Deisler 19 Jancker 20 Bierhoff (c) 21 Ramelow 22 Butt Coach: Ribbeck v t e Germany squad – 2002 FIFA World Cup Runners-up 1 Kahn (c) 2 Linke 3 Rehmer 4 Baumann 5 Ramelow 6 Ziege 7 Neuville 8 Hamann 9 Jancker 10 Ricken 11 Klose 12 Lehmann 13 Ballack 14 Asamoah 15 Kehl 16 Jeremies 17 Bode 18 Böhme 19 Schneider 20 Bierhoff 21 Metzelder 22 Frings 23 Butt Coach: Völler v t e Germany squad – UEFA Euro 2004 1 Kahn (c) 2 Hinkel 3 Friedrich 4 Wörns 5 Nowotny 6 Baumann 7 Schweinsteiger 8 Hamann 9 Bobic 10 Kurányi 11 Klose 12 Lehmann 13 Ballack 14 Brdarić 15 Kehl 16 Jeremies 17 Ziege 18 Ernst 19 Schneider 20 Podolski 21 Lahm 22 Frings 23 Hildebrand Coach: Völler v t e Germany squad – 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup Third Place 1 Kahn (c) 2 Hinkel 3 Friedrich 4 Huth 5 Owomoyela 6 Engelhardt 7 Schweinsteiger 8 Frings 9 Hanke 10 Deisler 11 Brdarić 12 Lehmann 13 Ballack 14 Asamoah 15 Ernst 16 Hitzlsperger 17 Mertesacker 18 Borowski 19 Schneider 20 Podolski 21 Schulz 22 Kurányi 23 Hildebrand Coach: Klinsmann v t e Germany squad – 2006 FIFA World Cup Third Place 1 Lehmann 2 Jansen 3 Friedrich 4 Huth 5 Kehl 6 Nowotny 7 Schweinsteiger 8 Frings 9 Hanke 10 Neuville 11 Klose 12 Kahn 13 Ballack (c) 14 Asamoah 15 Hitzlsperger 16 Lahm 17 Mertesacker 18 Borowski 19 Schneider 20 Podolski 21 Metzelder 22 Odonkor 23 Hildebrand Coach: Klinsmann