Oliver Kahn facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Oliver Kahn

Kahn in 2022
Personal information
Full name	Oliver Rolf Kahn
Date of birth	(1969-06-15) 15 June 1969 (age 56)
Place of birth	Karlsruhe, West Germany
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s)	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)
International career
1995–2006	Germany	86	(0)
Medal record Men's football Representing  Germany UEFA European Championship Winner 1996 England FIFA World Cup Runner-up 2002 Korea/Japan Third 2006 Germany FIFA Confederations Cup Third 2005 Germany
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Oliver Rolf Kahn (born 15 June 1969) is a famous German soccer player, known for being one of the best goalkeepers of his time. He started his career with the Karlsruher SC youth team in 1975. In 1994, he moved to the famous club Bayern Munich, where he played until he retired in 2008.

Kahn was famous for his strong and aggressive goalkeeping style. This earned him cool nicknames like Der Titan (The Titan) from reporters and Vul-kahn (Volcano) from fans.

He is one of Germany's most successful players ever. Kahn won eight Bundesliga (German league) titles, six DFB-Pokal (German Cups), the UEFA Cup in 1996, and the UEFA Champions League in 2001. He won many personal awards, including being named the World's Best Goalkeeper three times.

At the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Kahn was so good that he won the Golden Ball award for the best player of the tournament. He is the only goalkeeper in history to ever win this award. After his playing career, he became the CEO of Bayern Munich from 2021 to 2023.

Club Career

Karlsruher SC

Kahn joined his first club, Karlsruher SC, when he was only six years old. His father, Rolf, had also played for this club. He started as a regular player on the field but later switched to being a goalkeeper.

He joined the professional team in the 1987–88 season. At first, he was the backup goalkeeper. But by 1990, the team's manager made him the main goalkeeper. He became a key player and leader for the team. He helped them reach the semi-finals of the 1993–94 UEFA Cup, a big European competition.

Bayern Munich

Kahn playing for Bayern Munich in 2006.

Kahn's amazing performances made the bigger club, Bayern Munich, want to sign him. In 1994, they paid a record amount of money for a goalkeeper to bring him to their team. He quickly became Bayern's starting goalkeeper.

In 1999, Kahn and Bayern Munich made it to the 1999 Champions League Final against Manchester United. Bayern was winning for most of the game, but Manchester United scored two goals in the final moments to win. Even though it was a tough loss, Kahn was named the World's Best Goalkeeper that year.

Kahn had one of his greatest moments in the 2001 Champions League Final against the Spanish team Valencia. The game went to a penalty shootout. Kahn saved three penalties, helping his team win the championship. He was named the Man of the Match. After the game, he famously went to comfort the sad Valencia goalkeeper, Santiago Cañizares, and won an award for his sportsmanship.

Kahn waves to the crowd during his final match for Bayern Munich in 2008.

Kahn announced he would play until the 2007–08 season. He holds the record for the second-most games without letting in a goal (called a clean sheet) in Bundesliga history. His last game for Bayern was on 17 May 2008.

Kahn's farewell match was held at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, India.

He had a special farewell match on 2 September 2008, to celebrate his 20-year career. His final appearance was during a tour in Kolkata, India, where over 120,000 fans came to watch him play one last time.

International Career

Kahn was part of the German national team from 1994 to 2006. He was a backup goalkeeper when Germany won the 1996 UEFA European Championship. After the 1998 FIFA World Cup, the main goalkeeper retired, and Kahn became the new starter and team captain.

Germany was not expected to do well in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. But with Kahn as goalkeeper, the team played amazingly and reached the final. Kahn only let in three goals during the entire tournament. In the final match against Brazil, he was playing with an injured finger. He made a mistake that led to Brazil's first goal, and Germany lost 2–0.

Even with the loss, Kahn's performance was so incredible that he was given the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament. He also won the Yashin Award for the best goalkeeper. He is the only goalkeeper in World Cup history to win the Golden Ball.

For the 2006 FIFA World Cup, which was held in Germany, the coach decided to make Jens Lehmann the starting goalkeeper. Kahn accepted the decision and stayed with the team as a backup. He was praised for supporting Lehmann during the tournament.

Kahn played his last game for Germany in the third-place match against Portugal, which Germany won 3–1. He served as captain for his final game. In total, he played 86 times for Germany.

Style of Play

Kahn training with Bayern in 2006

Kahn is considered one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time. He was known for his amazing reflexes, agility, and ability to stop shots. But what made him special was his mental strength and leadership.

He was a very commanding and vocal player. He would often shout at his defenders to keep them focused and organized. This aggressive and powerful style is why he was called "The Titan." He was a true leader on the field.

Personal Life

Kahn was born in Karlsruhe, Germany. His father, Rolf, was also a professional soccer player.

Kahn has studied business and earned a Master of Business Administration degree. He wrote about business strategies in professional soccer. He is also involved in charity work, supporting a street-soccer league for kids and a foundation that helps protect young people.

In 1999, Kahn married his first wife, Simone. They have two children, a son and a daughter. They divorced in 2009. In 2011, he married his current wife, Svenja, and they have a son together.

Media

Kahn (far right) appearing on a television show in 2014.

Kahn became very popular in Asia after the 2002 World Cup. He appeared in TV commercials and even has a wax figure at the Madame Tussaud museum in Berlin. A German pop group called Die Prinzen even wrote a song about him called Olli Kahn.

After he retired from playing, he became a TV expert for the German channel ZDF, analyzing games for the German national team. He also appeared on a reality TV show in China to help find the country's best young goalkeeper.

Career Statistics

Club

International

Honours

Kahn's Bayern Munich jersey (right) next to jerseys of other soccer legends.

Bayern Munich

• Bundesliga: 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2007–08
• DFB-Pokal: 1997–98, 1999–2000, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2007–08
• DFB-Ligapokal: 1997, 1998, 2000, 2004, 2007
• UEFA Champions League: 2000–01
• UEFA Cup: 1995–96
• Intercontinental Cup: 2001

Germany

• UEFA European Championship: 1996
• FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2002; third place: 2006
• FIFA Confederations Cup third place: 2005

Individual

• Best Bundesliga Keeper: 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
• IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper: 1999, 2001, 2002
• Best European Goalkeeper: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
• UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
• UEFA Champions League Final Man of the Match: 2001
• German Footballer of the Year: 2000, 2001
• UEFA Fair-Play Award: 2001
• FIFA World Cup Golden Ball: 2002
• FIFA World Cup Yashin Award: 2002
• FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2002
• FIFA 100
• Golden Foot: 2017, as football legend

See also

In Spanish: Oliver Kahn para niños

• List of footballers with 100 or more UEFA Champions League appearances