The power and the fury
Thursday, May 15, 2008
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Hailed as FC Bayern Munchen's "most important player of the last decade", iconic goalkeeper Oliver Kahn will bring down the curtain on his playing career tomorrow.
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German record
The 38-year-old, who moved to Bayern from his home town club Karlsruher SC in 1994, retires after winning his eighth Bundesliga championship and sixth German Cup. Man of the match in Bayern's 2001 UEFA Champions League final victory against Valencia CF having saved three penalties in the shoot-out, he was named as the 2002 FIFA World Cup's best player. Saturday's game in Munich will be his 557th Bundesliga match, a record for a goalkeeper.
Controversial figure
"We'd never have won the Champions League without Kahn's performances and his character and desire off the field," Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said. "He's our most important player of the last decade." 'King Kahn' is also the sort of player rival fans love to hate, due to his absolute dedication to winning and outspoken criticism of rivals, as well as team-mates.
Wave of sympathy
However, there have been times when fans from Germany and across the world have taken Kahn to their hearts. In 1999 Kahn's Bayern team lost the UEFA Champions League final to Manchester United FC after the English side score twice in the dying seconds. There was a wave of sympathy for Bayern and Kahn in particular from fans who would normally revel in their failures.
World Cup woe
At the 2002 World Cup, Kahn led Germany to the final almost single-handedly but his first mistake of the tournament gave Ronaldo his first goal. Brazil went on to win 2-0 and Kahn looked utterly distraught as he sat against a post at the end of the game.
Odd dichotomy
Kahn was heartbroken again when Jürgen Klinsmann informed him Jens Lehmann, his great rival, would be Germany's No1 at the 2006 World Cup. A devastated Kahn accepted his squad role and was hailed as a model of sportsmanship. "It's funny," he observed. "Throughout my career I've been renowned for fighting to be the best but now, when I settle for second, everyone calls me a hero."
Rare honour
Kahn was rewarded with his 86th and final cap in the third-place play-off victory against Portugal, and will be given a rare honour in September when Bayern take on the German national team in his testimonial match. Kahn's competitive career will by then be over, but you can still bet that if he concedes he will be berate his defence with the same fury as ever.