Oliver Kahn
Encyclopedia
Oliver Rolf Kahn (ˈɔlɪvɐ ˈkaːn; born 15 June 1969) is a former German
football goalkeeper. He started his career in the Karlsruher SC
Junior team. He had his debut game in the professional squad in 1987. In 1994, he was transferred to Bayern Munich
for the fee of 4,600,000 DM, where he played until the end of his career in 2008.
He is one of the most successful German players in recent history, having won eight German championships, six German cups, the UEFA Cup
(1996), the UEFA Champions League
and the Intercontinental Cup
(both 2001). His individual contributions have earned him four consecutive UEFA Best European Goalkeeper
awards, three IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper
awards, and two German Footballer of the Year trophies. At the 2002 FIFA World Cup
, he became the first and only goalkeeper in the tournament's history to win the Golden Ball.
From 1994 to 2006, Kahn was part of the German national team
, in which he played as a starter after the retirement of Andreas Köpke
. In the 2002 FIFA World Cup
, the team reached the Finals. Although having allowed only three goals during the tournament, he received criticism for his mistakes in the final, where Germany lost to Brazil 0–2. Nonetheless, he was named the tournament's best player and received the Golden Ball award.
, where his father Rolf had played from 1962 to 1965. He started as an outfield player before becoming goalkeeper. He was included at the team's professional squad in the 1987–88 season of the first Bundesliga division, at first being the reserve goalkeeper behind Alexander Famulla
. On 27 November 1987, Kahn made his league debut in a 4–0 home victory against 1. FC Köln
. However, not until 1990 did manager Winfried Schäfer decide to start him over Famulla. In the following years, Kahn established himself as the team's starting goalkeeper. He was considered a key player and a motivator in the Karlruher squad which reached the semi finals in the 1993–94 UEFA Cup
. During the round of sixteen the team accomplished a 7–0 rout of Valencia
at its home field after losing the first match 1–3 at the Mestalla Stadium. The game was nicknamed the "Miracle at Wildparkstadion" by the German media. The team was defeated by the SV Austria Salzburg in the next round.
at the beginning of the 1994–95 season, for the record fee of 4,600,000 DM (€2,385,000) 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, he played his first game for Germany's national team two months after his return. Bayern defeated Bordeaux
in the 1996 UEFA Cup Final. In the 1996–97 Bundesliga season, Kahn archived 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 snuck 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. He was named Man of the Match
when he was part of the squad which played the 2001 Champions League title
against Valencia. He played an important role in the penalty shootout held after the teams remained tied 1–1 after extra time, making three saves. 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 penalties and attempted to comfort him. The same year, Bayern Munich won the International 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 the first knockout-round of the 2003–04 Champions League season, contributing to the elimination of his team from the competition. The Daily Mail criticized him for his mistake: "Once again on the big occasion Kahn was undone by a Brazilian, just as he was in the 2002 World Cup Final. Only this time it was a Roberto Carlos free-kick which he let slip, not a Ronaldo shot, for a goal as embarrassing as it is potentially catastrophic for Bayern". Bayern Munich won the next Bundesliga season with Kahn.
Prior to a 2006 match against Arminia Bielefeld
in Munich, Michael Rensing
peppered Kahn with practice shots. One shot hit Kahn squarely in the eye, causing enough swelling and discoloration to keep him from playing. With Rensing in goal, Bayern Munich won the match 2–0.
Kahn announced his intention to honor his contract and play through the 2007–08 season. As of 2011, he is the all time clean sheet leader in the history of the Bundesliga, with 197. On 2 September 2007, aged 38, he played his 535th Bundesliga match, becoming the league's all time leader among goalkeepers in matches played. Kahn made his final European appearance for Bayern in a 4–0 defeat to Zenit Saint Petersburg
in the UEFA cup semi-final on 1 May 2008. His last Bundesliga
game was the 4–1 victory against Hertha Berlin on 17 May.
After a twenty year-career, of which he played fourteen with Bayern, he had his professional farewell in a testimonial match
versus the select Germany XI
on 2 September 2008, which ended 1–1. His last appearance for Bayern Munich was on 27 May 2008 at the Salt Lake Stadium
(Yuvabharati Krirangan), Kolkata
in a friendly against Mohun Bagan of India during Bayern's Asian tour of 2008. Around 120,000 people turned up for the match. The match ended 0–3 in favour of Bayern and Michael Rensing substituted him in the 55th minute.
; however he made his first international appearance in a 2–1 victory against Switzerland
on 23 June 1995, 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 Football Championship
in England
. He spent the 1998 FIFA World Cup
in France
on the bench, and it was not until Andreas Köpke
announced his retirement at the end of the tournament that Kahn became the starting goalkeeper. Two years after the 2000 UEFA European Football Championship
, 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 favored to win as they had beaten England in 2000 1–0 at 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 finals; Kahn allowed 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 allowed 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.
The FIFA Technical Study Group awarded him with the Lev Yashin Award for the best goalkeeper of the tournament, and became the first goalkeeper in history to win the Golden Ball for the best individual performance. He also became the first German goalkeeper to keep five clean sheets in a World Cup tournament. Kahn maintained his number one spot for the 2004 UEFA European Football Championship
, but Germany were once again eliminated in the group stage. Oliver Kahn gave up his captaincy to Michael Ballack
after the tournament.
Germany's new manager Jürgen Klinsmann
, who replaced Rudi Völler
, adopted the strategy of rotating the number one spot between Kahn and his longtime competitor, Jens Lehmann
of Arsenal
, to stimulate competition between the two. On 7 April 2006, after two years of dispute for the position Klinsmann announced Lehmann was his first-choice goalkeeper for the 2006 World Cup
. Kahn decided to stay on as a backup for the competition; despite their acrimonious pre-tournament battle for Germany’s starting role, Kahn openly accepted Klinsmann’s decision. Kahn and Lehmann embraced and shook hands as the former offered words of encouragement before the quarter-final penalty shootout against Argentina. In the postgame conference, Kahn publicly praised Lehmann for his two decisive penalty saves.
After Germany was eliminated in the semi-finals by Italy, Kahn was given the start for the third place play-off held on 8 July 2006, which Germany won 3–1 against Portugal. In what was his last international appearance for Germany, he also received the captaincy of the team in the absence of the injured Michael Ballack
. Although overshadowed by Bastian Schweinsteiger
’s game-winning performance in the match, Kahn played to a high standard, pulling off several saves. Kahn deflected a shot by Portuguese forward Pauleta
after he beat the German defence, and later saved Deco
's shot made from just inside the penalty area. Following the match, Oliver Kahn announced his retirement from the German National Team. Throughout his international career he earned 86 caps for Germany, including 49 as team captain. He never won a World Cup, but finished as runner-up in 2002 and third in 2006.
sports team as an analyst for the German National Team's games. In 2009, he was part of the jury of a China Central Television
reality show, which aimed to find China's best young goalkeeper. As of 2011, he started negotiations with television channel Sat.1
to introduce the same format to German television under the name Never give up - The Kahn Principle, in which the winner would receive a contract to play for a Bundesliga club.
. He is of Latvia
n descent; he had a Latvian grandmother and his father was born in Latvia, in a city named Liepāja
, where he remains well-known. He has an older brother named Axel, who played in the second division for the Karlsruher. In 2010, Kahn ended his ten-year marriage with his wife Simone, with whom he has had two children. In February 2011 his girlfriend Svenja gave birth to a son.
In 2009, he was offered the position of manager for the FC Schalke 04
, which he turned down. Two years thereafter, in April 2011, a German court fined Kahn with €
125,000 ($
182,223) for tax evasion after failing to declare more than €6,000 of luxury clothing he bought on a trip to Dubai
.
He supports the Munich street-football league Bunt kickt gut, which is considered a pioneer project of organized street-football and a Germany and Europa-wide model of intercultural understanding, education values and prevention; the Sepp-Herberger foundation, which promotes football in schools, clubs, and prisons; and the Justin Rockola Association, whose goal is the protection of young people against violence, alcohol and drugs.
He received his coaching license in 2010.
During the 2002 World Championship in Japan and South Korea, Kahn gained popularity in Asia. He was depicted in several television commercials, including one for the Shinkin bank
. In 2008, his wax figure in the Berlin branch of the Madame Tussaud museum was inaugurated. Kahn is the subject of the song Olli Kahn by the German pop group Die Prinzen
.
Due to the formidable presence and influence that he showed during his professional career, Kahn is nicknamed "King Kahn" or "The Titan".
|1987–88||rowspan="7"|Karlsruhe
||rowspan="7"|Bundesliga
||2||0||0||0||colspan="2"|–||2||0
|-
|1988–89||2||0||0||0||colspan="2"|–||2||0
|-
|1989–90||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|–||0||0
|-
|1990–91||22||0||0||0||colspan="2"|–||22||0
|-
|1991–92||37||0||2||0||colspan="2"|–||39||0
|-
|1992–93||34||0||5||0||colspan="2"|–||39||0
|-
|1993–94||31||0||3||0||10||0||44||0
|-
|1994–95||rowspan="14"|Bayern Munich
||rowspan="14"|Bundesliga
||23||0||21||0||5||0||30||0
|-
|1995–96||32||0||2||0||12||0||46||0
|-
|1996–97||32||0||4||0||2||0||38||0
|-
|1997–98||34||0||8||0||8||0||50||0
|-
|1998–99||30||0||8||0||13||0||51||0
|-
|1999–00||27||0||5||0||13||0||45||0
|-
|2000–01||32||0||4||0||16||0||52||0
|-
|2001–02||32||0||5||0||14||0||51||0
|-
|2002–03||33||0||6||0||6||0||45||0
|-
|2003–04||33||0||5||0||8||0||46||0
|-
|2004–05||32||0||7||0||10||0||49||0
|-
|2005–06||31||0||6||0||7||0||44||0
|-
|2006–07||32||0||3||0||9||0||44||0
|-
|2007–08||26||0||7||0||9||0||42||0
557||0||82||0||142||0||781||0
557||0||82||0||142||0||781||0
1 Includes German Super Cup
|1995||2||0
|-
|1996||3||0
|-
|1997||3||0
|-
|1998||7||0
|-
|1999||6||0
|-
|2000||10||0
|-
|2001||10||0
|-
|2002||15||0
|-
|2003||9||0
|-
|2004||11||0
|-
|2005||7||0
|-
|2006||3||0
|-
!Total||86||0
|}
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
football goalkeeper. He started his career in the Karlsruher SC
Karlsruher SC
Karlsruher SC is a German association football club, based in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg. KSC rose out of the consolidation of a number of predecessor clubs. They currently play in the 2...
Junior team. He had his debut game in the professional squad in 1987. In 1994, he was transferred to Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
for the fee of 4,600,000 DM, where he played until the end of his career in 2008.
He is one of the most successful German players in recent history, having won eight German championships, six German cups, the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
(1996), the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
and the Intercontinental Cup
Intercontinental Cup (football)
The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores...
(both 2001). His individual contributions have earned him four consecutive UEFA Best European Goalkeeper
Best European Goalkeeper
The Best European Goalkeeper award is a football award given annually since 1990 to the most outstanding Goalkeeper in Europe, as voted by the UEFA magazine, in 2009 the ESM become the donor of the award .- List of winners :*1990 – Walter Zenga...
awards, three IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper
IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper
The IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper is a football award given annually since 1987 to the most outstanding goalkeeper as voted by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics . The votes, in 1996, were cast by IFFHS's editorial staff as well as experts from 89 countries spanning six...
awards, and two German Footballer of the Year trophies. At the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
, he became the first and only goalkeeper in the tournament's history to win the Golden Ball.
From 1994 to 2006, Kahn was part of the German national team
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
, in which he played as a starter after the retirement of Andreas Köpke
Andreas Köpke
Andreas Köpke is a former German football goalkeeper who was in the German squad that won the 1990 FIFA World Cup, and was also part of the 1994 FIFA World Cup squad...
. In the 2002 FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
, the team reached the Finals. Although having allowed only three goals during the tournament, he received criticism for his mistakes in the final, where Germany lost to Brazil 0–2. Nonetheless, he was named the tournament's best player and received the Golden Ball award.
Karlsruher SC
At the age of six, Kahn joined Karlsruher SCKarlsruher SC
Karlsruher SC is a German association football club, based in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg. KSC rose out of the consolidation of a number of predecessor clubs. They currently play in the 2...
, where his father Rolf had played from 1962 to 1965. He started as an outfield player before becoming goalkeeper. He was included at the team's professional squad in the 1987–88 season of the first Bundesliga division, at first being the reserve goalkeeper behind Alexander Famulla
Alexander Famulla
Alexander Famulla is a retired German football player.-External links:...
. On 27 November 1987, Kahn made his league debut in a 4–0 home victory against 1. FC Köln
1. FC Köln
1. FC Köln is a German association football club based in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia. It was formed in 1948 as a merger of the clubs Kölner Ballspiel-Club 1901 and SpVgg Sülz 07....
. However, not until 1990 did manager Winfried Schäfer decide to start him over Famulla. In the following years, Kahn established himself as the team's starting goalkeeper. He was considered a key player and a motivator in the Karlruher squad which reached the semi finals in the 1993–94 UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
. During the round of sixteen the team accomplished a 7–0 rout of Valencia
Valencia CF
Valencia Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish Football and European Football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups which was the...
at its home field after losing the first match 1–3 at the Mestalla Stadium. The game was nicknamed the "Miracle at Wildparkstadion" by the German media. The team was defeated by the SV Austria Salzburg in the next round.
Bayern Munich
Kahn's performance for Karlsruher SC prompted Bayern Munich to express interest in acquiring him. The team signed him as a replacement for Raimond AumannRaimond Aumann
Raimond Aumann was a German footballer. His nickname is Balu ....
at the beginning of the 1994–95 season, for the record fee of 4,600,000 DM (€2,385,000) for his position, and was established as Bayern’s starting goalkeeper. Although suffering a rupture of his cruciate ligament
Cruciate ligament
Cruciate ligaments are pairs of ligaments arranged like a letter X. They occur in several joints of the body, such as the knee...
, which kept him off the field for almost six months, he played his first game for Germany's national team two months after his return. Bayern defeated Bordeaux
FC Girondins de Bordeaux
Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux is a French association football club based in the city of Bordeaux. The club currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football, and won its last Ligue 1 title in the 2008–09 season....
in the 1996 UEFA Cup Final. In the 1996–97 Bundesliga season, Kahn archived 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
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
at Camp Nou
Camp Nou
Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957....
. Although Bayern Munich player Mario Basler
Mario Basler
Mario Basler is a German former football winger and current manager.- Career :...
scored an early goal in the sixth minute of the game, two goals by Teddy Sheringham
Teddy Sheringham
Edward Paul "Teddy" Sheringham MBE is a retired English footballer, and the father of footballer Charlie Sheringham. Sheringham played as a striker, and had a successful career at the club level, winning almost every domestic honour available with his clubs, most notably the Treble with Manchester...
and Ole Gunnar Solskjær
Ole Gunnar Solskjær
Ole Gunnar Solskjær is the manager of Norwegian first division side Molde. He is better known as a former footballer who spent most of his career playing for Manchester United. Often dubbed "the baby-faced assassin," he played 366 times for the Red Devils and scored 126 goals during a very...
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 snuck 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. He was named Man of the Match
Man of the match
In sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...
when he was part of the squad which played the 2001 Champions League title
UEFA Champions League 2000-01
The 2000–01 UEFA Champions League was the ninth edition of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA's premier European club football tournament, since it was renamed from the European Cup in 1992, and the 46th tournament overall. The competition was won by Bayern Munich , who beat Valencia 5–4 on...
against Valencia. He played an important role in the penalty shootout held after the teams remained tied 1–1 after extra time, making three saves. He also received the UEFA Fair Play Award for this match, after he walked up to a disappointed Santiago Cañizares
Santiago Cañizares
José Santiago Cañizares Ruiz is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a goalkeeper.After playing with Real Madrid, mostly as a backup, he finished his career at Valencia CF, where he appeared in more than 400 official games since 1998.In his prime, he was regarded as one of the best...
, the opposition goalkeeper, after the penalties and attempted to comfort him. The same year, Bayern Munich won the International Cup
2001 Intercontinental Cup
The 2001 Intercontinental Cup was a football match played on 27 November 2001 between Bayern Munich, winners of the 2000–01 UEFA Champions League, and defending champions Boca Juniors, winners of the 2001 Copa Libertadores. The match was played at the neutral venue of the National Stadium in Tokyo...
at Tokyo's National Stadium against the Argentine team Boca Juniors
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
.
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
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
in the first knockout-round of the 2003–04 Champions League season, contributing to the elimination of his team from the competition. The Daily Mail criticized him for his mistake: "Once again on the big occasion Kahn was undone by a Brazilian, just as he was in the 2002 World Cup Final. Only this time it was a Roberto Carlos free-kick which he let slip, not a Ronaldo shot, for a goal as embarrassing as it is potentially catastrophic for Bayern". Bayern Munich won the next Bundesliga season with Kahn.
Prior to a 2006 match against Arminia Bielefeld
Arminia Bielefeld
DSC Arminia Bielefeld is a German sports club from Bielefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia. Arminia offers the sports of football, field hockey, figure skating and cue sports. The club has 11,394 members and the club colours are black, white and blue...
in Munich, Michael Rensing
Michael Rensing
Michael Rensing is a German footballer who currently plays for 1. FC Köln.-Early career:Born of a German father and a Serbian mother, Rensing joined Bayern in 2000 from TuS Lingen, and went on to develop his talent in the club's youth sides.He spent the 2002–03 season in the German Regionalliga...
peppered Kahn with practice shots. One shot hit Kahn squarely in the eye, causing enough swelling and discoloration to keep him from playing. With Rensing in goal, Bayern Munich won the match 2–0.
Kahn announced his intention to honor his contract and play through the 2007–08 season. As of 2011, he is the all time clean sheet leader in the history of the Bundesliga, with 197. On 2 September 2007, aged 38, he played his 535th Bundesliga match, becoming the league's all time leader among goalkeepers in matches played. Kahn made his final European appearance for Bayern in a 4–0 defeat to Zenit Saint Petersburg
FC Zenit Saint Petersburg
Football Club Zenit is a Russian football club from the city of Saint-Petersburg. Founded in 1925 , the club plays in the Russian Premier League...
in the UEFA cup semi-final on 1 May 2008. His last Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
game was the 4–1 victory against Hertha Berlin on 17 May.
After a twenty year-career, of which he played fourteen with Bayern, he had his professional farewell in a testimonial match
Testimonial match
A testimonial match or testimonial game, often referred to simply as a testimonial, is a practice in some sports, notably football and especially in the United Kingdom, where a club puts on a match in honour of a player for service to the club....
versus the select Germany XI
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
on 2 September 2008, which ended 1–1. His last appearance for Bayern Munich was on 27 May 2008 at the Salt Lake Stadium
Salt Lake Stadium
Salt Lake Stadium , is a multi-purpose stadium in Bidhannagar, Kolkata, West Bengal.-Information:...
(Yuvabharati Krirangan), Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
in a friendly against Mohun Bagan of India during Bayern's Asian tour of 2008. Around 120,000 people turned up for the match. The match ended 0–3 in favour of Bayern and Michael Rensing substituted him in the 55th minute.
International career
Kahn was initially called for the German national team as a late back-up for the 1994 FIFA World Cup1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
; however he made his first international appearance in a 2–1 victory against Switzerland
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
on 23 June 1995, two months after recovering from his cruciate ligament injury. Along with Oliver Reck
Oliver Reck
Oliver Reck is a former German footballer who played as a goalkeeper.In a 20-year professional career, he was best known for his stints with Werder Bremen and Schalke 04, for whom he appeared in more than 500 official games combined, 471 in the Bundesliga alone.-Club career:Reck started his...
, Kahn was a reserve keeper of the squad, which won the 1996 UEFA European Football Championship
1996 UEFA European Football Championship
The 1996 UEFA European Football Championship was hosted by England, who won the right to host the tournament ahead of bids from Austria, Portugal and the Netherlands. It was the tenth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. It was the first to use the...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He spent the 1998 FIFA World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on the bench, and it was not until Andreas Köpke
Andreas Köpke
Andreas Köpke is a former German football goalkeeper who was in the German squad that won the 1990 FIFA World Cup, and was also part of the 1994 FIFA World Cup squad...
announced his retirement at the end of the tournament that Kahn became the starting goalkeeper. Two years after the 2000 UEFA European Football Championship
2000 UEFA European Football Championship
The 2000 UEFA European Football Championship, or Euro 2000, was the 11th UEFA European Football Championship, which is held every four years and organized by UEFA, association football's governing body in Europe....
, in which defending champions Germany made an embarrassing exit in the group stage, Kahn received the squad's captaincy, succeeding the striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
Oliver Bierhoff
Oliver Bierhoff
Oliver Bierhoff is a retired German former football striker, who scored the first golden goal in the history of major international football, for Germany in the Euro 96 final...
.
Kahn experienced one of his worst performances in his international career against England in Munich in 2001. Germany were favored to win as they had beaten England in 2000 1–0 at Wembley stadium. However, they were routed 5–1, including a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
by Michael Owen
Michael Owen
Michael James Owen is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Manchester United.The son of former footballer Terry Owen, Owen began his senior career at Liverpool in 1996. He progressed through the Liverpool youth team and scored on his debut in May 1997...
. 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
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
, the team advanced to the finals; Kahn allowed 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 allowed the first goal by fumbling a rebounded shot from Rivaldo
Rivaldo
Rivaldo Vítor Borba Ferreira , commonly known simply as Rivaldo , is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays for São Paulo, on loan from Mogi Mirim, as an attacking midfielder and sometimes as a supporting striker.He most notably played five years with Spanish club FC Barcelona, with whom he...
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.
The FIFA Technical Study Group awarded him with the Lev Yashin Award for the best goalkeeper of the tournament, and became the first goalkeeper in history to win the Golden Ball for the best individual performance. He also became the first German goalkeeper to keep five clean sheets in a World Cup tournament. Kahn maintained his number one spot for the 2004 UEFA European Football Championship
2004 UEFA European Football Championship
The 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, better known as Euro 2004, was the 12th European Football Championship, a quadrennial football tournament for European national teams. It was hosted in Portugal, for the first time, between 12 June and 4 July 2004, following its selection by UEFA, in...
, but Germany were once again eliminated in the group stage. Oliver Kahn gave up his captaincy to Michael Ballack
Michael Ballack
Michael Ballack is a German professional footballer, who is currently playing for Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen. He is among the top goal scorers in the history of his international team. Ballack has worn the number 13 shirt for every team he has played for except for Kaiserslautern...
after the tournament.
Germany's new manager Jürgen Klinsmann
Jürgen Klinsmann
Jürgen Klinsmann is a German football manager and former player who is currently the coach of the United States Men's National Team. As a player, Klinsmann played for several prominent clubs in Europe and was part of the West German team that won the 1990 FIFA World Cup and the German one that...
, who replaced Rudi Völler
Rudi Völler
Rudolf 'Rudi' Völler is a German former international football striker, and a former manager of the German national team...
, adopted the strategy of rotating the number one spot between Kahn and his longtime competitor, Jens Lehmann
Jens Lehmann
Jens Gerhard Lehmann is a German former football goalkeeper. He was voted UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year for the 1996–97 and 2005–06 seasons, and he has been selected for three World Cup squads. He was a member of Arsenal's Invincibles, playing every match of their famous unbeaten title winning...
of Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, to stimulate competition between the two. On 7 April 2006, after two years of dispute for the position Klinsmann announced Lehmann was his first-choice goalkeeper for the 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
. Kahn decided to stay on as a backup for the competition; despite their acrimonious pre-tournament battle for Germany’s starting role, Kahn openly accepted Klinsmann’s decision. Kahn and Lehmann embraced and shook hands as the former offered words of encouragement before the quarter-final penalty shootout against Argentina. In the postgame conference, Kahn publicly praised Lehmann for his two decisive penalty saves.
After Germany was eliminated in the semi-finals by Italy, Kahn was given the start for the third place play-off held on 8 July 2006, which Germany won 3–1 against Portugal. In what was his last international appearance for Germany, he also received the captaincy of the team in the absence of the injured Michael Ballack
Michael Ballack
Michael Ballack is a German professional footballer, who is currently playing for Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen. He is among the top goal scorers in the history of his international team. Ballack has worn the number 13 shirt for every team he has played for except for Kaiserslautern...
. Although overshadowed by Bastian Schweinsteiger
Bastian Schweinsteiger
Bastian Schweinsteiger is a German footballer who plays as a midfielder for Bayern Munich and the German national team. A right-footed player, he is capable of playing out wide or in a more central role....
’s game-winning performance in the match, Kahn played to a high standard, pulling off several saves. Kahn deflected a shot by Portuguese forward Pauleta
Pauleta
Pedro Miguel Carreiro Resendes, OIH , commonly known as Pauleta , is a retired Portuguese footballer who played as a striker....
after he beat the German defence, and later saved Deco
Deco
Anderson Luís de Souza, OIH , commonly known as Deco, is a Brazilian-born Portuguese professional footballer who currently plays for Fluminense....
's shot made from just inside the penalty area. Following the match, Oliver Kahn announced his retirement from the German National Team. Throughout his international career he earned 86 caps for Germany, including 49 as team captain. He never won a World Cup, but finished as runner-up in 2002 and third in 2006.
Television career
After the 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, he joined the ZDFZDF
Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen , ZDF, is a public-service German television broadcaster based in Mainz . It is run as an independent non-profit institution, which was founded by the German federal states . The ZDF is financed by television licence fees called GEZ and advertising revenues...
sports team as an analyst for the German National Team's games. In 2009, he was part of the jury of a China Central Television
China Central Television
China Central Television or Chinese Central Television, commonly abbreviated as CCTV, is the major state television broadcaster in mainland China. CCTV has a network of 19 channels broadcasting different programmes and is accessible to more than one billion viewers...
reality show, which aimed to find China's best young goalkeeper. As of 2011, he started negotiations with television channel Sat.1
Sat.1
Sat.1 is a privately owned German television broadcasting station. Sat.1 was the first privately owned television broadcasting station in Germany, having started one day before RTL Television....
to introduce the same format to German television under the name Never give up - The Kahn Principle, in which the winner would receive a contract to play for a Bundesliga club.
Personal life
Kahn was born in KarlsruheKarlsruhe
The City of Karlsruhe is a city in the southwest of Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, located near the French-German border.Karlsruhe was founded in 1715 as Karlsruhe Palace, when Germany was a series of principalities and city states...
. He is of Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
n descent; he had a Latvian grandmother and his father was born in Latvia, in a city named Liepāja
Liepaja
Liepāja ; ), is a republican city in western Latvia, located on the Baltic Sea directly at 21°E. It is the largest city in the Kurzeme Region of Latvia, the third largest city in Latvia after Riga and Daugavpils and an important ice-free port...
, where he remains well-known. He has an older brother named Axel, who played in the second division for the Karlsruher. In 2010, Kahn ended his ten-year marriage with his wife Simone, with whom he has had two children. In February 2011 his girlfriend Svenja gave birth to a son.
In 2009, he was offered the position of manager for the FC Schalke 04
FC Schalke 04
Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major...
, which he turned down. Two years thereafter, in April 2011, a German court fined Kahn with €
Euro coins
There are eight euro coin denominations, ranging from one cent to two euros . The coins first came into use in 2002. They have a common reverse, portraying a map of Europe, but each country in the eurozone has its own design on the obverse, which means that each coin has a variety of different...
125,000 ($
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
182,223) for tax evasion after failing to declare more than €6,000 of luxury clothing he bought on a trip to Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
.
He supports the Munich street-football league Bunt kickt gut, which is considered a pioneer project of organized street-football and a Germany and Europa-wide model of intercultural understanding, education values and prevention; the Sepp-Herberger foundation, which promotes football in schools, clubs, and prisons; and the Justin Rockola Association, whose goal is the protection of young people against violence, alcohol and drugs.
He received his coaching license in 2010.
Reputation
Kahn is widely admired for the stamina he showed to overcome the stresses and pressures of his career. His profile on the Bayern Munich website lists his attributes as "impatient, disciplined, ambitious".During the 2002 World Championship in Japan and South Korea, Kahn gained popularity in Asia. He was depicted in several television commercials, including one for the Shinkin bank
Shinkin bank
A is a type of Japanese bank.They are cooperative regional financial institutions serving small and medium enterprises and local residents. Anyone who lives, works, or has an office in the region served by the bank can become a member. However, companies with over 300 employees are prohibited...
. In 2008, his wax figure in the Berlin branch of the Madame Tussaud museum was inaugurated. Kahn is the subject of the song Olli Kahn by the German pop group Die Prinzen
Die Prinzen
Die Prinzen is a German music group. The band is made up of former members of the Thomanerchor and a former member of the Dresdner Kreuzchor.-Overview:Early albums consist of a cappella music...
.
Due to the formidable presence and influence that he showed during his professional career, Kahn is nicknamed "King Kahn" or "The Titan".
Career statistics
|-|1987–88||rowspan="7"|Karlsruhe
Karlsruher SC
Karlsruher SC is a German association football club, based in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg. KSC rose out of the consolidation of a number of predecessor clubs. They currently play in the 2...
||rowspan="7"|Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
||2||0||0||0||colspan="2"|–||2||0
|-
|1988–89||2||0||0||0||colspan="2"|–||2||0
|-
|1989–90||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|–||0||0
|-
|1990–91||22||0||0||0||colspan="2"|–||22||0
|-
|1991–92||37||0||2||0||colspan="2"|–||39||0
|-
|1992–93||34||0||5||0||colspan="2"|–||39||0
|-
|1993–94||31||0||3||0||10||0||44||0
|-
|1994–95||rowspan="14"|Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
||rowspan="14"|Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
||23||0||21||0||5||0||30||0
|-
|1995–96||32||0||2||0||12||0||46||0
|-
|1996–97||32||0||4||0||2||0||38||0
|-
|1997–98||34||0||8||0||8||0||50||0
|-
|1998–99||30||0||8||0||13||0||51||0
|-
|1999–00||27||0||5||0||13||0||45||0
|-
|2000–01||32||0||4||0||16||0||52||0
|-
|2001–02||32||0||5||0||14||0||51||0
|-
|2002–03||33||0||6||0||6||0||45||0
|-
|2003–04||33||0||5||0||8||0||46||0
|-
|2004–05||32||0||7||0||10||0||49||0
|-
|2005–06||31||0||6||0||7||0||44||0
|-
|2006–07||32||0||3||0||9||0||44||0
|-
|2007–08||26||0||7||0||9||0||42||0
557||0||82||0||142||0||781||0
557||0||82||0||142||0||781||0
1 Includes German Super Cup
|1995||2||0
|-
|1996||3||0
|-
|1997||3||0
|-
|1998||7||0
|-
|1999||6||0
|-
|2000||10||0
|-
|2001||10||0
|-
|2002||15||0
|-
|2003||9||0
|-
|2004||11||0
|-
|2005||7||0
|-
|2006||3||0
|-
!Total||86||0
|}
Bayern Munich
Source:- BundesligaFußball-BundesligaThe Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
(8): 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008 - German Cup (6): 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 20082008 DFB-Pokal FinalThe 2007–08 DFB-Pokal season ended on April 19, 2008, with the final being played by thirteen-time winners Bayern München and two-time winners Borussia Dortmund. The final was played in front of 70,000 at Berlin's Olympiastadion...
- German League CupDFB-LigapokalThe DFB-Ligapokal, or German League Cup, was a German football competition that took place before the start of the Bundesliga season, featuring the top five teams of the previous Fußball-Bundesliga season and the winners of the DFB-Pokal in Germany...
(6): 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2007 - UEFA CupUEFA CupThe UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
(1): 1996 - UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
(1): 2001 - Intercontinental CupIntercontinental Cup (football)The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores...
(1): 20012001 Intercontinental CupThe 2001 Intercontinental Cup was a football match played on 27 November 2001 between Bayern Munich, winners of the 2000–01 UEFA Champions League, and defending champions Boca Juniors, winners of the 2001 Copa Libertadores. The match was played at the neutral venue of the National Stadium in Tokyo...
International
Source:- UEFA European ChampionshipUEFA European Football ChampionshipThe UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
: 1996 - FIFA Confederations CupFIFA Confederations CupThe FIFA Confederations Cup is an association football tournament for national teams, currently held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships , along with the FIFA World Cup winner and the host nation, to bring the number of teams...
Third Place: 20052005 FIFA Confederations Cup-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place playoff:-Final:-Awards:-Goal scorers:5 goals Adriano4 goals Luciano Figueroa John Aloisi Michael Ballack... - FIFA World CupFIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
Second Place: 20022002 FIFA World CupThe 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0... - FIFA World CupFIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
Third Place: 20062006 FIFA World CupThe 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
Individual
Source:- UEFA Champions League Man of the Match: 2001
- UEFA Fair-Play Award: 2001
- German Footballer of the YearGerman Footballer of the YearThe title Footballer of the Year has been awarded in Germany since 1960. In 1996 the title Women's Footballer of the Year was awarded for the first time. Both awards are determined by a poll of German football journalists from the Association of German Sports Journalists and the publication Kicker...
: 2000, 2001 - Runner Up FIFA World Player of the YearFIFA World Player of the YearThe FIFA World Player of the Year was an association football award given annually to the male and female player who were thought to be the best in the world, based on votes by coaches and captains of international teams...
: 2002 - European Footballer of the YearEuropean Footballer of the YearThe "", literally translated as "the golden ball" and often referred to as the European Footballer of the Year award, was an annual association football award. It was presented to the player who had been considered to have performed the best over the previous calendar year...
Bronze Ball: 2001, 2002 - IFFHS World's Best GoalkeeperIFFHS World's Best GoalkeeperThe IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper is a football award given annually since 1987 to the most outstanding goalkeeper as voted by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics . The votes, in 1996, were cast by IFFHS's editorial staff as well as experts from 89 countries spanning six...
: 1999, 2001, 2002 - UEFA Club Football AwardsUEFA Club Football AwardsThe UEFA Club Football Awards are awards given by UEFA to the most outstanding performers of the European club football season. The awards were presented in August each year at a special gala in Monaco ahead of the UEFA Super Cup. Since 2005, the awards are presented at the UEFA Champions League draw...
– Best Goalkeeper: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 - Best European GoalkeeperBest European GoalkeeperThe Best European Goalkeeper award is a football award given annually since 1990 to the most outstanding Goalkeeper in Europe, as voted by the UEFA magazine, in 2009 the ESM become the donor of the award .- List of winners :*1990 – Walter Zenga...
: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 - Best Bundesliga Keeper: 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
- FIFA World Cup Golden Ball: 20022002 FIFA World CupThe 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
- Yashin Award: 2002
- FIFA World Cup awardsFIFA World Cup awardsAt the end of each FIFA World Cup final tournament, several awards are attributed to the players and teams which have distinguished from the rest, in different aspects of the game.These are awards granted during the men's senior tournament...
: All-Star Team 2002 - FIFA 100FIFA 100The FIFA 100 is a list of the world-renowned Brazilian striker Pelé's choice of the "greatest living footballers". Unveiled on 4 March 2004 at a gala ceremony in London, the FIFA 100 marked part of the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the Fédération Internationale de...
Further reading
- Nummer eins, Droemer/Knaur 2004, ISBN 3426273462
- Ich. Erfolg kommt von Innen, riva premium Verlag 2008, ISBN 3936994994
- Du packst es! Wie du schaffst, was du willst Pendo/Piper Verlag 2010, ISBN 978-3-86612-279-6