Oliver Kahn facts for kids
Kahn in 2022
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 15 June 1969 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Karlsruhe, West Germany | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.88 m | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1975–1987 | Karlsruher SC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1987–1990 | Karlsruher SC II | 73 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1990–1994 | Karlsruher SC | 128 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1994–2008 | Bayern Munich | 429 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 630 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–2006 | Germany | 86 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Oliver Rolf Kahn (born 15 June 1969) is a famous German football executive and former professional player. He was a goalkeeper, known for his strong presence and aggressive style. People called him Der Titan (The Titan) and Vol-kahn-o (like a volcano).
Kahn started playing football in 1975 for the Karlsruher SC junior team. He became a professional player twelve years later. In 1994, he moved to Bayern Munich, where he played until he retired in 2008.
He is one of Germany's most successful players. He won many titles, including eight Bundesliga titles and the UEFA Champions League in 2001. Many consider him one of the greatest goalkeepers ever. He won the UEFA Best European Goalkeeper award four times in a row. He also won the Golden Ball at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, a special award for the best player in the tournament. He is the only goalkeeper to have ever won this award.
From 1994 to 2006, Kahn played for the Germany national team. He helped Germany reach the final in 2002, even though he was injured. After retiring from playing, he became the CEO of Bayern Munich from 2021 to 2023.
Contents
Oliver Kahn's Football Journey
Early Days and Club Career
Playing for Karlsruher SC
Oliver Kahn joined Karlsruher SC when he was just six years old. His father, Rolf, had also played for the club. Oliver first played as a field player, but then he became a goalkeeper.
He joined the professional team in the 1987–88 season. At first, he was a reserve goalkeeper. On 27 November 1987, he played his first league game. In 1990, his coach decided to make him the main goalkeeper. Kahn quickly became a key player for Karlsruher SC. He helped the team reach the semi-finals of the 1993–94 UEFA Cup. One famous game was the "Miracle at Wildparkstadion," where his team won 7–0 against Valencia.
Becoming a Bayern Munich Legend
Kahn's great performances caught the eye of Bayern Munich. In 1994, he joined Bayern for a record fee for a goalkeeper at that time. He immediately became Bayern's main goalkeeper. Soon after joining, he suffered a knee injury that kept him out for six months. But he came back strong!
Bayern won the UEFA Cup in 1996. In the 1996–97 Bundesliga season, Kahn won his first German championship with Bayern. He was also named German Goalkeeper of the Year for the second time.
In 1999, Bayern Munich reached the Champions League Final. They played against Manchester United. Bayern scored early, but Manchester United scored two goals in the last minutes to win. Despite the loss, Kahn was named World Goalkeeper of the Year.
Kahn was a big part of Bayern winning the 2000–01 UEFA Champions League in 2001. In the final against Valencia, he saved three penalties in the shootout. He was named the best player of the match. He also showed great sportsmanship by comforting the opposing goalkeeper after the game. That same year, Bayern won the Intercontinental Cup.
Later in his career, Kahn faced some challenges with injuries. But he continued to play at a high level. In 2007, he became the goalkeeper with the most games played in the Bundesliga. He played his last European game for Bayern in May 2008. His final Bundesliga game was on 17 May, marking his 557th appearance in the German top league.
Oliver Kahn retired after a 20-year career, with 14 of those years at Bayern. He had a special farewell match on 2 September 2008 against a team of German stars. His very last game for Bayern was in Kolkata, India, where about 120,000 fans came to watch.
Playing for Germany
Kahn was first called up for the Germany national team for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. He was a backup goalkeeper. He made his first international appearance in June 1995. He was part of the squad that won the 1996 UEFA European Championship in England.
After the 1998 World Cup, Kahn became Germany's main goalkeeper. In 2000, he became the team captain. In 2001, Germany had a tough game against England, losing 5–1. But Germany still qualified for the World Cup, and Kahn remained their number one goalkeeper.
At the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Germany was not expected to do well. But Kahn's amazing saves helped the team reach the final. In the final, Germany lost to Brazil. Kahn made a mistake on Brazil's first goal, but he still won the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament. He is the only goalkeeper in World Cup history to win this award.
Kahn remained Germany's main goalkeeper for the 2004 UEFA European Football Championship. After that tournament, he gave up his captaincy. For the 2006 FIFA World Cup, the new manager decided to rotate between Kahn and Jens Lehmann. Lehmann was chosen as the starting goalkeeper for the World Cup. Kahn accepted this decision and supported Lehmann.
Germany reached the semi-finals but lost to Italy. Kahn played in the third-place match, which Germany won 3–1 against Portugal. This was his last international game for Germany. He was also the captain for this match. After the game, Oliver Kahn announced his retirement from the national team. He played 86 games for Germany.
Beyond the Field: Media and Management
Oliver Kahn in Media
Oliver Kahn became very popular in Asia after his performances at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He appeared in TV commercials there. In 2008, a wax figure of him was put in the Madame Tussaud museum in Berlin. There's even a song about him called Olli Kahn by a German pop group.
In 2015, the video game company Konami announced that Kahn would be a special player in their football video game Pro Evolution Soccer 2016.
Life After Playing: Management and Studies
After the 2008 UEFA European Football Championship, Kahn started working as a sports analyst for the ZDF television channel. In 2009, he was a judge on a Chinese TV show that looked for China's best young goalkeeper. He also studied business and earned a Master of Business Administration degree in 2012. His thesis was about "Strategic management in Germany's professional football."
On 1 January 2020, Kahn joined the executive board of FC Bayern Munich. Then, on 1 July 2021, he became the CEO of Bayern Munich. He held this position until 27 May 2023.
How Oliver Kahn Played
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Oliver Kahn is known as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time. He was admired for his excellent goalkeeping skills, quick reflexes, and ability to stop shots. He was also very strong mentally and stayed calm under pressure.
Kahn was famous for his unique personality and strong leadership on the field. He would often shout instructions to his defenders. Because of his powerful presence and aggressive playing style, he earned the nickname "The Titan." Fans also often called him "King Kahn."
What Oliver Kahn Won
Karlsruher SC II
- Oberliga Baden-Württemberg: 1989–90
- Verbandsliga Nordbaden: 1988–89
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, runner-up: 1998-99
- 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 Awards
- 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
- German Footballer of the Year: 2000, 2001
- Ballon d'Or third place: 2001, 2002
- 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 World Player of the Year silver award: 2002
- FIFA 100
- Golden Foot: 2017, as football legend
Images for kids
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Kahn's farewell match between Bayern Munich and Mohun Bagan in Kolkata, 2008.
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Kahn on RTL's Spendenmarathon in 2014.
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See also
In Spanish: Oliver Kahn para niños
- List of footballers with 100 or more UEFA Champions League appearances
