[Oliver_Kahn]

The Bundesliga has a long tradition of having great goalkeepers, and the first half of the 44th Bundesliga season was no different.


From veterans to newcomers, they've all performed heroic feats between the posts.

Kahn still among the best

Oliver Kahn is still one of the goalies to watch in Germany. FC Bayern's stalwart on the goal-line is a three-time "world goalkeeper of the year”, and is already a football legend. The veteran isn't even phased by the competition!

"To be honest, I have other battles to fight instead of taking on the competition. I reckon the fight I'm always having is only against myself", Kahn says.

Kahn has amassed a mighty total of 516 Bundesliga games throughout his career. In 17 matches this season, the former German international only conceded 19 goals, which means he is still one of the best goalkeepers gracing the beautiful game.

"Mister penalty"

Another veteran enjoying a good season is Bayer Leverkusen's "Mister penalty”, Hans-Jörg Butt. He has put in some rock-solid performances, and although he hasn't scored from the penalty spot this season, Butt is still ranked third in the Bundesliga's all-time penalty-scorers list. Butt is also thinking about the future.

"Oliver Kahn has retired from the national team, and Jens Lehmann will probably step down after the European Championships. Things happen fast in football, so I'll keep working on getting into the national squad. I believe that performance should count! I've been playing at a high level for years now, also internationally. I've got nothing to hide", the Leverkusen player states.

Rost replaced by Neuer

Schalke's veteran goalie Frank Rost didn't have a good season, as he was replaced between the posts by 20 year-old rookie Manuel Neuer, which also forced Rost to leave the "Royal Blues" and join Hamburger SV.

Neuer made ten appearances and managed to wow the crowds after getting over an initial bout of nerves. Now, many football experts are so impressed that they see Neuer as an "Oliver Kahn in the making”. Are we looking at a future man for the German national team?

Penalty killer

There aren't many goalkeepers in the world who can boast a 100 percent record on penalty saves this season, but Eintracht Frankfurt's Markus Pröll can! He's stopped three out of three, and performances like that have played a major role in Frankfurt's solid Bundesliga campaign.

In between matches, Pröll has applied to take courses to become a Helicopter pilot. Looking at his style of play, "fasten your seatbelts” might be a phrase worth remembering!

Hard to beat

The goalkeeper who conceded the least goals in the first half of the season was VfL Wolfsburg's Simon Jentzsch. He was forced to fish the ball out of his own net a meagre 16 times!

Jentzsch is nearly two metres tall, and his height, coupled with catlike reflexes, has meant that the "Wolves” are a tough team to score against. If he can continue to put in terrific performances, Jentzsch could be a candidate for Germany when Jens Lehmann steps down in 2008.