Oliver Kahn. Gorilla, Bulldog, Pithecanthropus

The headline contains only a small part of the nicknames that the public and the press have awarded Oliver Kahn.

There are no fans in Germany who are indifferent to this colorful character. Kan is loved, Kan is hated, he is cursed and empathized with. For almost ten years, Olli has been one of the ten most popular Germans.

And there is nothing to be surprised. A strong goalkeeper is doomed to popularity, both positive and negative. A strong goalkeeper in a superclub like Bayern is doubly popular by default. Well, if he has such a bright appearance as our hero, then his popularity can be unlimited.

By the way, about the appearance that left its mark on Oliver's character and became the reason for numerous nicknames. Kahn has been born with a malocclusion - the lower jaw protrudes forward. This is noticeable visually, and problems with diction are inevitable. Can you imagine how little Ollie got from peers? They called him a bulldog, and a monkey, and they mimicked the speech. And to get rid of ridicule, one had to have strong muscles and powerful fists. Well, work with speech therapists. Now Oliver speaks quite clearly, without any signs of speech impediments. True, it is not known how clearly those who had to experience the fortress of Kahn's fists pronounce the words.

MAYER GLOVES

Pretty early on, Ollie gave the answer to the traditional children's question, "What will you be when you grow up?" Of course, a football player, like dad. To say that it is better than dad, Oliver could not. Out of respect for his father, for the player Rolf Kahn was unimportant. Played as a midfielder at Karlsruhe. But from a mediocre football player, a wonderful children's coach turned out. Many of Rolf Kahn's students have become famous players. The most successful was Oliver Kahn, the son of a children's coach.

It was his father who identified Ollie as a goalkeeper, although the boy tried himself in almost all roles. “There are many players, but one goalkeeper. Goalkeepers are always appreciated and loved. So go to the gate, ”said the father to 7-year-old Oliver and made a fateful gift - the gloves of the famous Sepp Mayer. How can you not become a goalkeeper here?

18 years will pass, and the legendary Sepp Mayer will recommend Oliver to Bayern, and then long and hard to make the best goalkeeper in the world out of his ward. In the meantime, the blond boy had to work hard in training and dream of a place at the gates of the modest Karlsruhe.

FORMULA AND FAMULLA

»I have never been called up to various youth and junior national teams of Germany. It's just that none of the coaches of these teams knew about my existence. And it didn't bother me or bother me at all. I was thinking more about how to play faster in the first team, "recalls Oliver. Kahn waited in the wings and worked in training until the seventh sweat. Moreover, he developed his own formulas for the flight of the ball, which allowed him to take the right position, go to interceptions on time. In training everything turned out great - apparently, the formulas turned out to be useful.

But it didn’t take long to break into the main team. The place at the Karlsruhe goal was occupied by Alexander Famulla, a goalkeeper, maybe not the strongest, but quite experienced. Coach Winfred Schäfer had complete confidence in his goalkeeper, and Kahn had to wait a long time for his turn on the bench. Once I waited - Famulla got a red card. And, apparently, Kan burned out. In his debut match, Olli simply failed - he missed four pieces from Cologne. In the next game, against Werder Bremen, Kahn conceded half as many, but did not play much better. And there, Famulla ended the disqualification, and he returned to the goal again. Kanu had to walk in shifts for another two years. Those rare chances that were presented to him, he did not use.

And Kahn would have perished in the unpromising or would have played somewhere in the lower leagues, if not for Famulla. The Karlsruhe goalkeeper completely deteriorated in the absence of competition, made mistakes in every match, and as a result, Schaefer's patience snapped. In the match against Bochum, Famulla brought two goals and was substituted. And his understudy played very worthy. And in the next match looked decent. And the next one too. That's how 22-year-old Oliver Kahn became the main guardian of the Karlsruhe gate. Coincidence or not, but as soon as Ollie was established in the first team, the club began to progress dramatically.

AND AGAIN MAYER

After Jean-Marie Pfaff ended his illustrious career, Germany's most titled club, Bayern, had serious problems with the number one post. Richard Aumann, of course, was a good goalkeeper, he was involved in the national team, but in Munich they are used to having a goalkeeper of the level of Mayer or Pfaff protect the gate. Here Sepp Mayer, who was in charge of the training of keepers at Bayern, was entrusted with the search for a worthy successor. Didn't have to search long. “Of course, Kahn from Karlsruhe,” Mayer told the club management, and very soon the strong, broad-shouldered blond moved to Munich. The Bavarians did not stint, paying two and a half million dollars for Olli - a goalkeeper transfer record at that time. As you can see, they did not fail. Kahn very quickly got used to the Bavarian goal and very soon became a cult figure, a symbol of the Munich club.

Great was the surprise of Sepp Mayer when the newcomer showed him the most expensive relic - the same Mayer gloves, with which the biography of Kahn the goalkeeper began. Mayer, the greatest of German goalkeepers, appreciated Oliver's talent very highly. But with his experienced eye, he could not fail to notice that Oliver's preparation is very weak and one needs to work with him for a long time and hard work. After each workout, Mayer and Kahn stayed another hour and a half or two. “Sepp beat me from three meters and came up with all kinds of exercises. After his classes, any game seemed like fun to me. "The lessons of the great master could not but affect, for a year at Bayern, Kahn noticeably improved and soon made his debut in the national team.

KAHN AND LEMANN

Germany has always been rich in goalkeeping talent, and therefore fierce competition unfolded for a place in the national team, sometimes turning into a war. And before becoming the first number of the Bundestim, it was necessary to wait a very long time in the wings and face various intrigues. Oliver was first called up to the main team of the country when he was the goalkeeper of Karlsruhe, he even went to the 1994 World Cup as the third after Bodo Illgner and Andreas Koepke. But the debut came on June 23, 1995 - Olli defended the gates of the Bundesteam in a friendly game with the Swiss national team. Illgner left the national team by that time, but Andreas Koepke had to compete seriously. Koepke, whose club career developed extremely unsuccessfully, was very successful at the gates of the national team. Largely thanks to him, the Germans won the 1996 European Championship, and Andreas became the best goalkeeper of the tournament. Of course, Oliver was happy for his colleague, but his relationship with Andreas was very difficult. The dubious Koepke always believed that Kahn wanted to sit him down. Before the 1998 World Cup, the relationship between the two “Ks” completely deteriorated - Andreas and Oliver did not even say hello. The Germans failed the world championship, Koepke left the national team, and the sweater with the first number went to Kahn. But Oliver had a strong, ambitious, sharp-tongued opponent - Jens Lehmann. The peer of Kahn believed that he was in no way inferior to the Bavarian, and by hook or by crook he tried to push Ollie out of the frame.

Jens did not skimp on philippics addressed to the opponent. "I hate to stand in traffic, sit on a bench and Oliver Kahn." Or: "Someday I will move to Bayern, and Kahn will serve me balls, at least some sense will come from him." And one more thing: “Oliver is not up to football now, he is having an affair with a waitress. Maybe he should go to the bartenders or maitre d's? I would visit his establishments and leave a tip.” Kahn was not so verbose and usually answered questions about Lehmann with another question – “Lehmann? And who is it?"

No matter how puffed up Jens, no matter how he called himself the best goalkeeper in the country, and in the national team he had to be an understudy at the 98 World Cup, and at Euro 2000, and at the 2002 silver world championship for the Germans, and at the 2004 European Championship. But Jens still bided his time. Kahn was forced to give up the first number to his old enemy. Why? It is hardly worth seeing the reason only in the intrigues of Lehmann and the difficult relationship with Jürgen Klinsmann, which developed back in Bayern. The 2004/05 season was clearly not a success for Oliver, and the next one was not the most successful either. And Jens at that time shone at Arsenal. Do not forget who under Klinsmann was responsible for the training of goalkeepers - the already mentioned Andreas Koepke. It is clear that in such conditions Olli felt uncomfortable in the Bundesteam.

To take the edge off the rivalry, Klinsmann announced in advance that Lehmann would be the main goalkeeper at the World Championships. Not everyone liked this news, but Oliver himself took it stoically. The second is the second. True, he himself announced that he would leave the national team after the World Cup.

It was at the world championship that the reconciliation of two outstanding goalkeepers took place. After the quarter-final match against the Argentines, in which Lehmann won the shoot-out, Kahn came over and congratulated Jens. The two enemies shook hands and ceased to be enemies. This scene was seen by the whole world. “Jens had a great World Cup. He deserves to be the main goalkeeper, ”said Olli, played in the match for third place with the Portuguese and left the Bundesteam. It is unlikely that this decision was simple, because Kahn defended the gates of the German national team 86 times and led the team with the captain's armband in 49 matches.

BLOODYTHIRDAY AND MERCIUS

“I like playing for Bayern. And not only because it is the most powerful and titled club in the country. After all, not only do they not love us, they envy us and hate us. And I like it when they hate us. It turns on, stimulates to be the best to spite them all.

Fans dedicated a lot of chants to Kahn - censored and not so much. Perhaps not a single German football player has so many nicknames (mostly offensive ones) - Bulldog, and Monster, and Gorilla with Godzilla. And at away matches, fan stands chant rhymes of their own composition throughout the game. Ollie does not miss a moment to applaud his detractors, and sometimes even conduct them. Since the chants can't hurt the thick-skinned Kahn, the fans resort to more drastic measures. “Since the goalkeeper of Bayern is a gorilla, it means he must love bananas,” the one who launched a tropical fruit at Oliver was guided by a similar logic. Kan calmly picked up a banana, peeled it, ate it, and launched the skin onto the podium, where his offender was sitting. Bananas are nothing compared to what happened in Freiburg. There, one idiot (it's hard to find another word) launched a golf ball at Kahn and hit him in the head. Have you ever held such a ball in your hands? Pretty hefty. Now imagine what Oliver felt when such an object hit his head. It was quite easy, the ball went tangentially and only scratched the goalkeeper's head until it bled. And then the police held back the enraged Kahn, who was trying to break into the podium and catch the offender. If he succeeded, then the ball thrower could only envy the sacrifice of Eric Cantona, Oliver would not be limited to one kick.

The police identified the 18-year-old attacker. He was sentenced to pay a heavy fine and permanently banned from visiting football matches. But most of all the bully was afraid of a confrontation with Oliver. For Kan is terrible in anger.

This can be confirmed by his former teammate Andreas Herzog. At one of Bayern's training sessions, Kahn caught the midfielder in an unfair attitude to his duties and gave him a serious beating. As he grabbed his throat with his iron hands, Herzog immediately caught his breath. The German comedian Harald Schmidt found out about this incident, and he portrayed the "feat" of the Bavarian goalkeeper. Since then, Ollie has developed a reputation for being "bloodthirsty and merciless."

Borussia midfielder Andreas Möller also got it from Kahn. In the fight for the riding ball, Andi put out his knee, for which he was ... bitten by Kahn. “Now I know how bulldogs bite,” Möller later said, hinting at the wrong bite of his offender. Another Borussia player, Heiko Herrlich, had to experience firsthand what the ball felt when the Bayern goalkeeper knocked it into the field - Kahn's kick was very painful. There were many similar episodes in Oliver's biography. But after the 2002 World Cup, the name of Germany's most famous goalkeeper disappeared from football conduits.

Olli's excellent performance on the fields of Korea and Japan reconciled him with the rest of Germany, non-Bavarian. After all, everyone understood to whom the Germans owe their exit to the final. Treating Kahn has ceased. Yes, and Oliver himself settled down and stopped allowing all sorts of liberties.

One of his red cards (and there were very few of them in Ollie's career) Kahn earned for being ... like Diego Maradona, namely, he scored the ball with his hand. Bayern lost to Hansa 0:1. At the last minute, Oliver went to someone else's penalty area - to the rescue. And he hit the gates of Martin Pikenhagen, playing along with his hand. The referee saw and presented the goalkeeper with a yellow card, the second in the match.

Oliver dreamed of scoring a ball for a very long time. From the game, as we see, it did not work. I tried from the penalty spot. Bayern beat Energa 6-0, and you can experiment. The Bavarians got the right to the 11-meter, and their captain went to punch. But Oliver struck so unsophisticated that his counterpart Tomislav Piplitsa caught the ball and then laughed for a long time, forgetting about the six missed balls. Kahn then dropped the idea of ​​scoring goals. Let it be done by those who are supposed to by status.

WAITRESS

Oliver met his wife Simone when he was the second goalkeeper of Karlsruhe. Ollie for a very long time, almost ten years, sought the hand of his beloved, until Simone finally said yes. At that moment, Kan felt like the happiest person in the world. Soon the daughter Katharina-Maria appeared in the family. Newspaper pages were full of articles about the family of the goalkeeper of the German national team, about how harsh-looking Oliver is a loving husband and father. Their family was called almost exemplary.

And this idyll collapsed in one moment. In the fall of 2002, Bayern went to the Oktoberfest, the traditional autumn beer festival, in full force. And on this holiday, Kanu liked the young waitress Verena Kert. The novel broke out and began to develop rapidly. Soon all of Germany knew about Oliver's passion. Meanwhile, Simone was expecting her second child. Oliver left the family a month before the birth of his son David. Of course, such actions do not paint a man, but let's not judge Oliver strictly. After all, we know about the details of this case only from newspaper publications. Since then, Oliver and Verena, who is 13 years younger, have been together, but they are in no hurry to register their relationship.

Simone suffered the betrayal of her husband very hard. For two years, she did not appear in public, did not give any interviews and did not allow Oliver to see the children. But now she seems to be doing well. Life improved, and anger towards the former spouse came to naught. Oliver got the opportunity to visit the children and finally saw his son David.

Oliver Kahn is already 37 years old, a critical age even for a goalkeeper. But he is in no hurry to hang gloves on a nail. “I haven't played enough yet. Many goalkeepers played until the age of forty, why am I worse? Moreover, I feel younger, thirty years, no more. So I'm still playing." At one time, Kahn was invited to many famous clubs - Barcelona, ​​Real Madrid, Manchester United, Milan. But Kahn remained loyal to Bayern. And he wants to serve her even after the end of his career, especially since he will certainly find a position in the club. The Bavarians don't throw away their stars. But it is possible that before the end of his career, Olli will also play in another club. Old acquaintances - Giovanni Trapattoni and Lothar Matthäus, coaching the Austrian Red Bull, are calling to him. And there are rumors that Kahn is considering their offer.

The legendary, world famous football goalkeeper Oliver Kahn was born in the small German town of Karlsruhe on June 15, 1969. Oliver's love for the ball was instilled in him by his father, Rolf Kahn, who used to play for a local club for several years as a midfielder.

Carier start. A series of failures

Kahn made his first steps in football as a member of the Karlsruhe club. Until the age of 17, Oliver played for the youth team, and with the onset of adulthood, he was accepted as the third goalkeeper in the main team. Lady Fortune was favorable to the novice football player, and he was almost instantly enlisted as the second goalkeeper after Alexander
Famulla.

Soon the long-awaited moment came when Kahn had the opportunity to show his skills, but it was not there. On the eve of the upcoming match with Cologne, Famulla, having received a red card, was suspended for the next three games. In the absence of the main goalkeeper, the honor of defending the goal fell to Oliver Kahn, who, not justifying the hopes of the coach, conceded 4 goals, and the team lost a clean sheet.

Oliver's troubles didn't end there. In the game with Werder Bremen, he could not rehabilitate himself in the eyes of others and gave the enemy the opportunity to hit his goal twice. In total, Kahn conceded 9 goals in 3 matches. The only reason why Oliver Kahn remained in the team is the absence of another goalkeeper to replace Famulla. For a whole year, Kahn sat on the bench.

On the road to glory

After some time, painstaking work on his football talent fully justified itself, and when Oliver once again had a chance, he showed himself in all his glory, thanks to which he firmly took his place at the gate.

After an unsuccessful game by Famulla, goalkeeper Oliver Kahn came on as a substitute. None of the opposing team managed to hit the gate guarded by Oliver, as a result, Karlsruhe won. In the same year (1992), the Kahn team received the right to take part in the UEFA Cup. From that moment on, Kahn's career began to go, as they say, uphill.

Bayern Munich

Having successfully performed at the UEFA Cup, having reached the semi-final stage, Karlsruhe began to gain its popularity, and Oliver himself aroused interest among the coaches of various teams. The turning point in the career of a novice football player came in the summer of 1994, after moving from his native club to the strongest German team - Bayern Munich. The amount of the transfer was simply astronomical at that time - 5 million marks. Oliver Kahn immediately ousted Raymond Aumann, who had been the first goalkeeper of the Munich club for many years.

Finally, in 1995, Kahn's old dream came true - he had to defend the gates of the national German team in matches against the national teams of Georgia and Switzerland. But Oliver still had to spend the championship of the year on the bench. Only after Andi Koeppke left the German national team, Oliver Kahn received the honorary place of the first goalkeeper.

First achievements

Season 1995-1996 marked by the victory of the Munich club in the UEFA Cup. And the following year, Oliver for the first time in his career becomes the gold medalist of the German Bundesliga, taking first place and proving his unsurpassed skill. By this time, Kahn's popularity at Bayern was growing rapidly, and very soon he became not only the No. 1 goalkeeper, but also a real team leader.

But with all this, relations with the fans sometimes did not develop quite smoothly. Due to his rude character and non-standard appearance, especially active fans came up with various offensive nicknames for him, for example, "Bulldog", "Monkey", "Gorilla". True, over time, a completely innocent and even affectionate “Ollie” took root.

His career continues to develop successfully, and in 1999, having won a victory in the next German championship, football player Oliver Kahn was recognized as the best goalkeeper on the planet. Oliver failed to get the main European club trophy, because in the final match against Manchester United, the Germans, winning with a score of 1:0, were able to concede 2 goals in 3 minutes added by the referee. This alignment, however, did not unsettle Kahn, on the contrary, the goalkeeper found strength in himself and continued to train hard.

Peak of popularity

Oliver Kahn performed amazingly in the 2000-2001 UEFA Champions League, becoming a real championship triumph. However, despite unsurpassed results at the club level, Kahn did not manage to register in the first team of the German national team. And although he participated in the world championships in 1994 and 1998, at the 1996 European Championship, Oliver was regarded only as the second goalkeeper - "Bundesmanschaft".

In 1998, Oliver Kahn, whose photo graced the covers of numerous sports magazines, became the No. 1 goalkeeper in the German football car in the selection of the first team for the Old World Championship.

The finest hour for Olli was the 2002 Mundial, where the goalkeeper literally pulled his team into the final, thanks to which he was known as the best figure in the Bundesmanschaft. The loss to the Brazilians in the battle for gold cast a shadow over Kahn's class and skill. Nevertheless, at the end of the year, he again received the title of the best football goalkeeper on the planet.

At the 2004 European Championships, Kahn's role as the main defender of the gate was untouchable. True, having lost in the semi-finals to the Italian team, the Germans were able to win only bronze. At the same time, the whole of Berlin applauded them at the solemn ceremony, which was a kind of turning point for German football.

Final season

The 2007/2008 season was the final in Kahn's playing career. He spent it in his native Bayern Munich, which became a second home for the football player. Moreover, Oliver was recognized as a true symbol of the famous club, forever included in its history.

In the final season for himself, goalkeeper Oliver Kahn, of course, wanted to shine and leave football as a winner. To some extent, he succeeded - Bayern Munich won the Cup and the national championship.

And things have turned out worse in the European arena. The team, by a happy coincidence, was able to bypass the modest Spanish Getafe and reach the semi-finals, where it was crushed by the St. Petersburg Zenit with a huge score.

farewell match

September 2, 2008 ... There is not a single empty seat at the Munich Allianz Arena. The farewell match of the legendary Bayern footballer Oliver Kahn against the German national team took place here. In the 33rd minute, Olli conceded his last goal.

In total, Kahn played 86 matches for the German national team, in 49 of which he played as captain. The famous goalkeeper has chalked up 190 shutouts, a streak of 736 minutes without a single goal conceded, and other marvels of football statistics.

Personal life

Currently, Oliver Kahn, whose biography is full of bright events, is officially divorced. Married "Olli" July 10, 1999 to Simon, whose hand he sought for 14 years. The reason for the marriage was the pregnancy of the chosen one, because at the end of 1998 Oliver became a father, daughter Katarina was born.

The rumors that reached Simone about her husband's affair with the club's waitress Verena Kert led to numerous scandals. When his wife carried Kan's second child under her heart, the football player began to openly demonstrate to the public his relationship with Verona, which led to the breakup of the family. A year later, Oliver decided to return to his wife, who by that time was already raising two of his children (son David was born). However, the feelings cooled down, and the two hearts that once loved each other did not succeed in reuniting again.

Oliver Kahn is an outstanding, famous goalkeeper who has made a huge contribution to the development of German football.

early years

One of the greatest goalkeepers, Oliver Rolf Kahn, was born on June 15, 1969, in the German city of Karlsruhe, which was located near the French-German border.

Since childhood, the future footballer had a problem with an overbite, which caused ridicule from others. But the diligence and diligence of young Oliver helped to cope with the defect and achieve intelligible speech. Now the footballer’s diction is all right, but because of a childhood problem, such nicknames as a bulldog, a gorilla, a pithecanthrope and a vampire have stuck to him. See also .

Oliver Kahn had a desire for football since childhood, especially since he received a good example from his father. At one time, his father, Rolf Kahn, played as a midfielder in football club Karlsruhe, where he later became the coach of the children's team. Many of the coach's natives received the status of famous players, but the football player Oliver Kahn turned out to be the most successful.

Oliver tried himself in almost all roles, but his father decided to make a first-class goalkeeper out of the boy. “There are many footballers, but one goalkeeper,” Rolf Kahn said. At the age of seven, he presented Oliver Kahn with Sepp Mayer gloves, which determined the future career of a football player. See also .

Football career of Oliver Kahn

Until his seventeenth birthday, the football player spent in the youth team. After the player turned eighteen (1990), he was transferred to the team as the third goalkeeper. But thanks to his abilities, he was immediately appointed second goalkeeper, after goalkeeper Alexander Famulla. Oliver Kahn waited a long time for his turn in order to enter the field in the position of the first goalkeeper. Such an opportunity presented itself to him when Famulla receives a red card and is suspended for 3 games. It would seem that all the cards are in the hands of Oliver Kahn. But everything went awry, and the player failed to prove himself in the game.

First comes the defeat with a score of 0:4, in favor of Cologne, then in the battle with Werder, Oliver Kahn concedes two goals. In three games, the goalkeeper concedes almost nine goals. But since there was no alternative replacement for Alexander Famulla, the football player avoided a forced departure. After spending a year on the reserve bench, Oliver Kahn again has the opportunity to defend the team's goal, and the football player shows his best side and leads the team to victory, since not a single goal could be in the goal, which was guarded by Oliver Kahn. After the end of the "successful" match, Oliver Kahn becomes the main goalkeeper of the team.

In 1993, he was honored to defend the gate at the UEFA Cup and was invited to play in the German national team. But for five years, Oliver Kahn was content exclusively with the position of reserve goalkeeper. Only in 1995, Oliver Kahn got the opportunity to prove himself as the goalkeeper of the national team in meetings against the Georgian and Swiss teams. Then the bench followed again, and only after the departure of Andi Koeppke, the German was awarded the title of the main goalkeeper of the national team.

In the 94th year, the football player signs a contact with the Munich "". The amount of the transfer at that time was quite a record - 2.3 million euros. The player's salary is no less impressive - 2.5 million. Oliver Kahn immediately ousts Raymond Aumann, who has long held the position of the main goalkeeper of the club. The football player achieves the greatest success precisely among Bayern. In 1996, the UEFA Cup was won, and in the 98th, the National Cup. Oliver becomes a six-time German champion six (in 97,99,2000,2001,2003,2005). By the way, such leading clubs as "" and "" fought for the football player, but as soon as the football player stuttered about leaving, he was offered a more lucrative contract by the leadership of Bayern. As a result, Oliver Kahn's annual salary was 4.5 million euros and the goalkeeper was recognized as the highest paid footballer in Germany.

In 1999, 2001 and 2002 he became the best goalkeeper in the world, and in 2000-2001 he was awarded the title of the best player in Germany.

In 2006, at the World Cup matches in Germany, he ends his career in the national team, and in 2008 he ends his career as a goalkeeper in Bayern.

For all my football career Oliver played eight hundred and sixty-four games, including five hundred and fifty-four Bundesliga matches, one hundred and forty-one Euro Cup matches and eighty-six games as a goalkeeper for the national team.

Oliver Kahn has a reputation for being a ruthless and bloodthirsty gambler. A lot of obscene chants were dedicated to him, they threw bananas at him (because of the nickname Gorilla), they threw a golf ball at his head, but the football player came out of all situations with his head held high and even played along with the attackers.

At one of the training sessions of the Bayern club, the goalkeeper clutched at the neck of his teammate, because of his dishonest attitude to his football duties. And in the match against Borussia, the midfielder of the team was bitten by the goalkeeper, to which he replied that he now knows how bulldogs bite (again because of the nickname of the football player).

Goalkeeper

Germany

Played for clubs: "Karlsruhe" (Germany) 1986-1994; Bayern (Germany) 1994-2008;

Achievements:

Best Player and Best Goalkeeper World Cup 2002,
The best goalkeeper in the world 1999, 2001, 2002,
The best goalkeeper in Europe 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
The best football player in Germany 2001, 2002
The best goalkeeper in Germany 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
Vice world champion 2002
European Champion 1996
Intercontinental Cup Winner 2001
Champions League Winner 2001
UEFA Cup Winner 1996
German Champion 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008
German Cup Winner 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008
League Cup Winner 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2007, 2008

Oliver Kahn was born in 1969 in Karlsruhe. There he began to play football, where his father brought him, also, by the way, a former football player. Oliver took his first steps in the Karlsruhe youth team, and at the age of 18 he got into the adult team as the third goalkeeper. The career was not easy and Kahn remained on the bench for a long time, until he finally had a chance.

In 1990, after the main goalkeeper of "Karlsruhe" Famula earned a three-match suspension, Kahn finally got into

main cast. However, the first games did not impress the fans: in these three matches, Oliver conceded 9 goals. So another year Kahn spent on the bench. The situation with the goalkeepers in the team was critical at that time and left the future star in his native club. Kahn worked on himself for a long time and, when he got the chance again, he presented himself in all his glory and firmly took his place at the gate.

In many ways. thanks to him, "Karlsruhe" following the results of the 1992/1993 season, received the right to participate in the UEFA Cup. At that time, Russian Sergey Kiryakov was on the same team with Oliver Canomi. Since then, Kahn's career has been on the rise.

In the 1993/1994 season, Karlsruhe performed quite well in the UEFA Cup, reaching the semi-finals, and Oliver in the summer of 1994 “reached” Bayern Munich itself. The same season was marked by participation in the Champions League, and the next 1995/1996 - a victory in the UEFA Cup. In 1997 Oliver Kahn finally becomes the champion of Germany.

At Bayern, by that time, he was not only the number one goalkeeper, but also the real leader of the team. But relations with the fans did not develop so smoothly. Because of his outstanding appearance and rude disposition, they came up with many offensive nicknames for him: "Gorilla", "Bulldog", etc. However, over time, a much less negative "Ollie" took root.

Meanwhile, his career continues to grow rapidly and in 1999, in addition to another championship in Germany, Kahn is recognized as the best goalkeeper in the world. Unstoppable Manchester United and, in general, luck prevented winning the main trophy - the Champions Cup that season: the Champions Cup left the hands of Munich in a matter of minutes of stoppage time, when the Mancunians scored two goals. Such an event could unsettle anyone but Kahn. He waited in the wings and he was given to him two years later. The Champions League final of the 2000/2001 season, held in Milan, turned out to be unusually tense, as a result, it came to post-match penalties, where Kahn survived and finally lifted such a coveted Champions Cup over his head. It was a real triumph.

Despite the obvious success in the club, Olli could not get into the main team. And although he formally participated in the World Cup-94, Euro-96, World Cup-98, he actually remained the second, and even the third goalkeeper. Only in 1998, Kahn becomes number one in the national team in the selection for Euro 2000. At the European Championship itself, the team performed unsuccessfully, taking the last place in the group and losing heavily to the Portuguese in the last game - 0:3. Oliver's finest hour was the championship in Japan and Korea in 2002. With a generally rather inexpressive team game and rather weak opponents, Kang became the best figure in the team, leading the team to the final, where no one could blame Oliver, despite the defeat from the Brazilians :2. In the same year, he again becomes the best goalkeeper in the world.

At Euro 2004, Kahn's place at the gate was unassailable, despite the obvious negative attitude towards him of the second number of the national team Jens Lemmann. But at the home world championship, the scales still tipped in the direction of Lemman. However, Kahn was given a place in the goal in the match for third place, where he tried on the bronze medals. On this, the legendary goalkeeper completed his career in the national team.

The 2007/2008 season was the last for Oliver Kahn. And he spent it, of course, in Bayern, which became not only his home. He himself became a symbol of Bayern. They said Bayern, they meant Oliver Kahn, and vice versa. Probably nowhere at that time there were such strong associations as this one. According to the results of the last season, the Munich team failed to take the Champions League place in the championship and were content with the performance in the UEFA Cup, taking the place of the unconditional favorite. In the final season for himself, Oliver, of course, wanted to shine and leave the winner, and partly he succeeded: Bayern won the championship and the German Cup. But in the UEFA Cup, everything turned out not so rosy. In the quarter-finals, the Bavarians only miraculously managed to go further, overcoming the resistance of the modest “Getafe” only in extra time. And the last game of the legendary German goalkeeper took place in St. Petersburg, where the Zenit team not only did not let the favorites into the final, but scored four unanswered goals behind Kahn's back.

Top 5 best saves by Oliver Kahn

Date of birth: 06/15/1969
Country: Germany
Club: Bayern (Munich, Germany)
Role: goalkeeper
Place of birth: Karlsruhe
Zodiac sign: Gemini
Nickname: "Olly"
Height: 188 centimeters
Weight: 91 kilograms
Shoe size: 10.5
Marital status: married, wife Simon, 2 children - Katharina-Maria, David
Education: high school
Distinctive traits: impatient, disciplined, ambitious
Hobbies: golf, reading
Previous clubs: SK Karlsruhe (1975-94)

Awards
Best player and best goalkeeper at the 2002 World Cup
World's Best Goalkeeper: 1999, 2001, 2002
Best European Goalkeeper: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
Best German Player: 2000, 2001
Best German Goalkeeper: 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
World Championship finalist: 2002
European Champion: 1996
Club World Championship Winner: 2001
Champions League Winner: 2001
UEFA Cup Winner: 1996
Bundesliga winner: 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005
German Cup Winner: 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005
German League Cup Winner: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004

Biography

Oliver Kahn is the best goalkeeper in Germany, a student and successor of Sepp Mayer. Oliver Kahn was born on June 15, 1969 in Karlsruhe. His father, Rolf, was once a very famous football player and played for the Karlsruhe club KSC from 1963 to 1965. By the way, the stadium in Karlsruhe is located just one and a half kilometers from the house where the Kan family lived. Later, Rolf Kahn was even a coach and consultant to his eminent son. Despite excellent data, Oliver Kahn was never included in the youth national team of Germany, and in the Karlsruhe team he was only a substitute goalkeeper.

“I have only one goal - no later than at the age of 23 to get into the main team,” said Oliver Kahn in an interview. Such an opportunity presented itself to him in 1990 after several weak games played by the first goalkeeper of Karlsruhe Alexander Famulla. Oliver immediately managed to prove himself and thanks to his skill, the players from Karlsruhe began to play so well that in 1993 they received the right to play in the UEFA Cup, and they dropped out of the fight for this honorary trophy only in the semi-finals.

In October of the same year, Kahn was invited to the German national team for the first time. However, despite the fact that in 1994 the German journalists elected him the "Best Goalkeeper of the Year", he had to be content with the role of a substitute goalkeeper for another five long years.

The turning point in Oliver Kahn's career came in 1994 after his move from Karlsruhe to Bayern Munich, the strongest German team of all time. By the way, for this action, the Munich club had to transfer an astronomical amount for that time to the bank account of Karlsruhe - five million marks. Kahn immediately ousted Raymond Aumann, who had been the first goalkeeper of the Munich club for many years.

In 1995, Oliver Kahn's old dream finally came true - he had the honor of defending the gates of the German national team in two matches - against the national teams of Switzerland and Georgia. But at the 1996 European Championships and the 1998 World Championships, he again had to come to terms with the role of a substitute goalkeeper. Only after Andi Koeppke left the national team did Oliver Kahn become the first goalkeeper.

Oliver Kahn achieved his biggest successes as part of Bayern Munich. So far, six times - in 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2005 - he has been German champion. In 1996, Oliver Kahn, together with Bayern, won the UEFA Cup, and in 1998 he won the national cup. In 1999, Bayern reached the European Champions League final against Manchester United. Two minutes before the end of this meeting, the Munich players were leading with a score of 1:0, but in the end they lost - 1:2.

Football fans will surely remember this match for a long time, as well as the 2001 Champions League final, in which Bayern managed to snatch victory from Valencia after extra time as a result of penalty kicks. The hero of that match, by right, should be called Oliver Kahn, who saved three opponent's penalties.

In 1999, 2001 and 2002 Oliver Kahn was voted the best goalkeeper in the world. In 2000 and 2001 he was named best football player Germany. Largely thanks to the efforts of Oliver, Germany managed to break into the final of the 2002 World Cup.