Oliver Kahn

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Lore & Background

Kahn's performance for Karlsruher SC prompted Bayern Munich to express interest in acquiring him. 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 DM4.6 million (€2.385 million) for his position, 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, Kahn made his debut match for the Germany national team two months after his return. Bayern defeated Bordeaux 3–1 in the 1996 UEFA Cup Final. In the 1996–97 Bundesliga season, Kahn achieved his first German championship with Bayern Munich, the German League Cup, and was named German Goalkeeper of the Year for the second time in his career (the first in 1994). 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. The same year, he was named World Goalkeeper of the Year by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics. 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 sneaked 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. Later, he joked, "I thought the goalkeeper was allowed to use his hands in the box." Kahn played an important role in the team that won the 2000–01 UEFA Champions League. In the final against Valencia, Kahn won man of the match after saving three penalties in the penalty shoot-out. 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 penalty shoot-out and attempted to comfort him. The same year, Bayern Munich won the Intercontinental Cup at Tokyo's National Stadium against the Argentine team Boca Juniors. 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. This culminated with Kahn allowing a seemingly soft shot by Roberto Carlos into the net against Real Madrid

In Their Own Story

The source recounts a specific moment of aggression and humor during a match against Hansa Rostock on March 3, 2001. With Bayern trailing 2–3 in the final minutes, Kahn sneaked into the box during a corner, punched the ball into the net, and immediately received a red card. Later, he joked about the incident: 'I thought the goalkeeper was allowed to use his hands in the box.' His career also saw significant personal struggles; Kahn admitted that injuries, personal problems, and a lack of motivation caused a rapid decline during the 2002–03 season. This struggle culminated in the 2003–04 Champions League knockout round against Real Madrid, where he allowed a seemingly soft shot by Roberto Carlos to enter the net, contributing directly to Bayern's elimination.

Reader's Guide

Kahn was initially called for the Germany national team as a late back-up for the 1994 FIFA World Cup, as third keeper behind veteran starter Bodo Illgner and Andreas Köpke; however he made his first international appearance on 23 June 1995 in a 2–1 victory against Switzerland, two months after recovering from his cruciate ligament injury. Along with Oliver Reck, Kahn was a reserve keeper of the squad, which won the 1996 UEFA European Championship in England, as the back-up to the now starting keeper Köpke. Kahn spent the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France on the bench, and it was not until Köpke announced his retirement at the end of the tournament that Kahn became the starting goalkeeper. Two years after UEFA Euro 2000, in which defending champions Germany made an embarrassing exit in the group stage, Kahn received the squad's captaincy, succeeding the striker Oliver Bierhoff. Kahn experienced one of his worst performances in his international career against England in Munich in 2001. Germany were favoured to win as they had beaten England 1–0 in 2000 at the Wembley Stadium. However, they were routed 5–1, including a hat-trick by Michael Owen. 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. Kahn was named the best goalkeeper in the world by IFFHS for the second time in his career. Despite Germany's comparatively low expectations when for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, the team advanced to the final; Kahn conceded only three goals in the course of the competition, two of which were in the final. Playing the final match with torn ligaments in his right ring finger, Kahn conceded 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; nevertheless he refused to blame his injury for his mistake.

Did You Know?

• Kahn saved three penalties in the 2001 Champions League final shoot-out.
• Kahn received the UEFA Fair Play Award for the 2001 Champions League final.
• Kahn played the 2002 World Cup final with torn ligaments in his right ring finger.
• Kahn's final appearance for Bayern Munich was a friendly against Mohun Bagan in Kolkata on 27 May 2008, attended by around 120,000 people.