Oliver Kahn - Retired, legendary Bayern goalkeeper

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fcbayern.de: In his final season, Oliver Kahn has yet again been flawless. How much will the team miss him next season?
Rummenigge: ”Oliver is a huge personality who embodies the so-called ‘Bayern gene’. I’ve not forgotten the last day of the season in 2001, Barbarez scored against us in the 90th minute and Sammy Kuffour just lay lifeless on the turf. Oliver grabbed him, shook him and sent him up the field – a team needs that kind of player in tough situations. We’ll miss Oliver Kahn, not just as a goalkeeper, but as a personality. But we’ll compensate for it somehow. Other players will have to step into his shoes.“

fcbayern.de: Can Luca Toni, who Oliver Kahn reckons also has ‘Bayern genes’, ever take on the same role?
Rummenigge: ”I wouldn’t forget Franck Ribéry either. Both are influential characters, on and off the field, and good for the mood in the dressing room. And Mark van Bommel is a long way up the hierarchy too. But it still won’t be easy to replace Oliver Kahn as a personality.“

fcbayern.de

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Beckenbauer: Bayern Must Make Final For Kahn

German football legend and Bayern Munich president Franz Beckenbauer says the club owe it to retiring captain Oliver Kahn to at least make the final of this season's UEFA Cup.

The Rekordmeister face a very difficult trip to Russian champions Zenit St. Petersburg on Thursday night having only drawn 1-1 in the first leg of their UEFA Cup semi-final.

The DFB-Pokal is in the bag and the Bundesliga is as good as theirs, but Beckenbauer says Bayern must make the final in Europe too to give Kahn a proper send-off.

"Really he deserves to go out with a Champions League final," wrote the World Cup winner in Bild. "But now he should at least get a UEFA Cup final - an exit in St. Petersburg wouldn't be the international departure he deserves so the rest of the squad should really try to tear it up against the Russians. I'm confident they'll do it - for Bayern and for Oliver Kahn."

Beckenbauer then waxed lyrical about the goalkeeper's record in Munich, trumpeting that "in his 14 years with Bayern he's collected so many national titles and put the fear into countless opposing strikers," not forgetting the famous Champions League triumph of 2001.

Goal.com - UEFA Cup - Beckenbauer: Bayern Must Make Final For Kahn

[Vargas_4]

Oliver Kahn has seen it all in 20 years as a professional, from the low point of two horror minutes in Barcelona, to the highs of the penalty shoot-out in Milan and the recent ‘Miracle of Getafe’. Now, a sobering 4-0 defeat to Zenit St. Petersburg not only means Bayern exit the UEFA Cup at the semi-final stage, but also brings down the curtain on Kahn’s illustrious European career.

The Bayern captain has made 142 appearances in European club competition, 103 of them in the Champions League. He would have liked to play his final match on 14 May in Manchester, but it was not to be. Instead, Kahn’s last match took place in the modest surroundings of the Petrovski stadium in St. Petersburg. “Everything comes to an end at some point, and yes, this is the end,” Kahn reflected afterwards.

The spirit of Bayern

The 38-year-old’s European baptism came in Karlsruhe’s 2-1 UEFA Cup win against PSV Eindhoven on 14 September 1993. Two months later, KSC chalked up a legendary 7-0 victory over Valencia. Kahn would later win the Champions League (2001) and the UEFA Cup (1996), and appear in the 1999 Champions League final.

Kahn’s Bayern became a feared name in the great footballing cities of Milan, Madrid and Manchester. “We’d never have won the Champions League without Kahn’s performances, and his character and desire off the field. He personifies the spirit of Bayern Munich,” chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said recently, naming Kahn “the most important player“ of the last decade.

Happy and grateful

Respected St. Petersburg boss Dick Advocaat joined in the chorus of praise for the three-time world goalkeeper of the year. “I told him I’ve always been a huge fan. He’s one of the best ever German goalkeepers,” Advocaat revealed after exchanging words with Kahn at the final whistle. “He’s likeable and a great coach. He was kind enough to say some very nice things,” Kahn said by way of returning the compliment.

Naturally, the keeper expressed dismay at the way Bayern went down without a fight against the Russian champions. “Obviously we’re disappointed. Once you’ve made the semis, you ant to go one further,” he remarked, although he also confessed to being “very happy and very grateful“ that his final season is almost over. “Some sportsmen end their careers in far worse circumstances.“

Glorious St. Petersburg

The player was not especially upset at suffering his worst personal defeat in Europe in his very last game, turning instead to the future. “We need another point for the Bundesliga title, and I reckon we’ll get it in one of the last four matches. We’ve also won the Cup. We won’t start calling it a terrible season just because of this defeat, heavy though it was.“

Four more league fixtures, and Kahn will hang up his gloves. “There comes a point where you’re glad it’s over and you can draw a line under it all,” the keeper declared. He even appeared a shade relieved after his last European outing. “That was it for me here today in St. Petersburg. It’s a fantastic city by the way. So ending my European career here is quite a highlight,” he remarked with a smile.


End of an era as Kahn exits Euro stage

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“That was it for me here today in St. Petersburg. It’s a fantastic city by the way. So ending my European career here is quite a highlight,” he remarked with a smile.

Kahn had to fake that.

He must be dearly dissapointed with this HUGE loss, specially considering it was his last European match.

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Feel sorry for Kahn. He deserved to end his European career with the trophy on his hands.

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Oliver Kahn wird neuer ZDF-Experte

Das ZDF verpflichtet Bayern-Torhüter Oliver Kahn als Experten für die Zeit nach der Fußball-EM 2008. Der 38-Jährige unterzeichnet beim Mainzer Sender einen Vertrag bis 31. Juli 2010. In seiner Funktion wird er neben Johannes B. Kerner bei den Spielen der deutschen Mannschaft die Spiele analysieren.

The ZDF (german public television channel) have signed Oliver Kahn as their TV-pundit/expert for the time after Euro 2008.

Kahn has signed a contract until 31 July 2010. He will work alongside J. Kerner, analysing matches of Germany NT.

[Oliver_Kahn]

Originally Posted by Trim

The ZDF (german public television channel) have signed Oliver Kahn as their TV-pundit/expert for the time after Euro 2008.

Kahn has signed a contract until 31 July 2010. He will work alongside J. Kerner, analysing matches of Germany NT.

Wasn't Kahn going to Japan?

[BlackNess]

Originally Posted by Oliver_Kahn

Wasn't Kahn going to Japan?

It was China i think, anyway, he can analyze through the Phone

[Stephan]

Originally Posted by Trim

The ZDF (german public television channel) have signed Oliver Kahn as their TV-pundit/expert for the time after Euro 2008.

Kahn has signed a contract until 31 July 2010. He will work alongside J. Kerner, analysing matches of Germany NT.

That would be interesting to see!

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Bayern Munich goalkeeper Oliver Kahn has received words of praise from an unusual source- Jens Lehmann who has had a running feud with the Bayern legend for a number of years.

Titan keeper Kahn will hang up his gloves next weekend and retire after a highly successful career in the game. He has however received words of praise from his old rival Jens Lehmann, who disputed the number one spot in the German national team for a number of years.

"Despite all our rivalry, I have got to say that your attitude has always impressed me immensely" the Arsenal goalkeeper said in a message broadcast to Kahn, a studio guest on Germany's ZDF television.

"I could never lose the motivation to train hard because I knew there was somebody in Munich who was training even harder or equally hard with the aim of being the best.

"That helped me from the beginning of our contest when I joined the national team in 1998.

"It helped me to improve and also deal with competition for a place at club level and I thank you for that and wish you all the best for the future."

Kahn admitted that the media and public's view of their feud had been overstated and that he and his rival had indeed seen eye to eye during their bid for the favour of the national team trainer.

"A lot has been said about how bad the relationship was between Jens and myself, but it was certainly never really so bad" Kahn admitted.

"We did talk about the situation once or twice and it is only normal that when you get two goalkeepers at such a high level training together, then there is tension."

Kahn gained 86 caps for Germany while Lehmann attained 53.

The Bayern keeper will play his final Bundesliga match at home to Hertha Berlin on Saturday bringing down the curtain on a career which has seen him win a massive 23 titles both domestically and in Europe.

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Goal.com - Bayern Munich - Lehmann Praises Old Foe Kahn

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Is this true??? If so I'm impressed.

[vampyrian]

Originally Posted by BlackNess

It was China i think, anyway, he can analyze through the Phone

It was Japan. But that 'rumor' is very old anyway so who knows what's really gonna happen with Oliver. I must say that I actually feel that I'll shed a tear or two when Kahn plays his last match. Very manly of me, I know but... we all know how huge of a part of Bayern he has been for all these years... it's not gonna be a happy moment seeing him go. Ah well.

[Mighty T.A.L.]

Lehmann praises Kahn now when he knows he retires.

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Originally Posted by vampyrian

It was Japan. But that 'rumor' is very old anyway so who knows what's really gonna happen with Oliver. I must say that I actually feel that I'll shed a tear or two when Kahn plays his last match. Very manly of me, I know but... we all know how huge of a part of Bayern he has been for all these years... it's not gonna be a happy moment seeing him go. Ah well.

Yeah man, I know I won't be able to escape tears aswell. It will be a special moment.