Oliver Rolf Kahn (German:[ˈɔlivɐˈkaːn]; born 15 June 1969)[3] is a Germanfootball executive and former professional player who played as agoalkeeper. He started his career in theKarlsruher SC Junior team in 1975. Twelve years later, Kahn made his debut match in the professional squad. In 1994, he was transferred toBayern Munich for the fee ofDM 4.6 million, where he played until the end of his career in 2008. His commanding presence in goal[4] and aggressive style earned him nicknames such asDer Titan ([deːɐ̯tiˈtaːn], "The Titan") from the press andVul-kahn ("volcano") from fans.[5]
From 1994 to 2006, Kahn was in theGermany national team, in which he played as a starter after the retirement ofAndreas Köpke, he was an unused member of the squad that won the1996 UEFA European Championship. In the2002 FIFA World Cup, although Germany were not among the tournament favourites, Kahn's prowess, despite being injured, in goal was key to reaching thefinal, where Germany lost 0–2 toBrazil. Kahn made a mistake on Brazil's first goal; nonetheless, he received the Golden Ball as player of the tournament.[11]
From July 2021 to May 2023, he was the CEO of Bayern Munich.
At the age of six, Kahn joinedKarlsruher SC, where his father Rolf had played from 1962 to 1965.[4] He started as a field player before becoming goalkeeper.[12] Kahn was included in the team's professional squad in the 1987–88 season of the first Bundesliga division, at first being the reserve goalkeeper behindAlexander Famulla. On 27 November 1987, Kahn made his league debut in a 4–0 away defeat to1. FC Köln.[13] However, not until 1990 did managerWinfried Schäfer decide to start him over Famulla.[14] In the following years, Kahn established himself as the team's starting goalkeeper. He was considered a key player and a motivator in the Karlsruher SC squad which reached the semi-finals in the1993–94 UEFA Cup.[15] During the round of sixteen the team accomplished a 7–0 rout ofValencia at its home field after losing the first match 1–3 at theMestalla Stadium.[16][17] The game was nicknamed the "Miracle at Wildparkstadion" by the German media.[18] The team was defeated bySV Austria Salzburg in the semi-final.[19][20]
Kahn's performance for Karlsruher SC prompted Bayern Munich to express interest in acquiring him.[21] The team signed him as a replacement forRaimond Aumann at the beginning of the 1994–95 season, for the at that time record fee of DM4.6 million (€2.385 million) for his position,[14] and was established as Bayern's starting goalkeeper. Although suffering a rupture of hiscruciate ligament, which kept him off the field for almost six months, Kahn made his debut match for the Germany national team two months after his return.[22] Bayern defeatedBordeaux 3–1 in the1996 UEFA Cup Final.[23] In the1996–97 Bundesliga season, Kahn achieved his first German championship with Bayern Munich, the German League Cup,[24] and was named German Goalkeeper of the Year for the second time in his career (the first in 1994).[2]
Kahn was sent off in an incident againstHansa Rostock on 3 March 2001. With his Bayern Munich team losing 2–3 in the final minutes, he sneaked into the area during a corner kick, jumped up, and punched the ball into the opponent's net. He immediately received ared card, which dismissed him from the game.[27] Later, he joked, "I thought the goalkeeper was allowed to use his hands in the box."[28] Kahn played an important role in the team that won the2000–01 UEFA Champions League.[29] In thefinal against Valencia, Kahn wonman of the match after saving three penalties in the penalty shoot-out.[30][31] He also received the UEFA Fair Play Award for this match, after he walked up to a disappointedSantiago Cañizares, the opposition goalkeeper, after the penalty shoot-out and attempted to comfort him.[32] The same year, Bayern Munich won theIntercontinental Cup at Tokyo'sNational Stadium against the Argentine teamBoca Juniors.[31]
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.[33][34] This culminated with Kahn allowing a seemingly soft shot byRoberto Carlos into the net againstReal Madrid in the first knockout-round of the2003–04 Champions League season, contributing to the elimination of his team from the competition.[35] Bayern Munich won thenext Bundesliga season with Kahn.
Kahn at his Bayerntestimonial match in September 2008 for his 14 years of service to the club
Prior to a 2006 match againstArminia 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.[36]
Kahn announced his intention to honour his contract and play through the 2007–08 season.[37] As of 2023, he has the second-most all-timeclean sheets in the history of the Bundesliga with 204, only behindManuel Neuer.[38] On 2 September 2007, aged 38, he played his 535th Bundesliga match, becoming the league's all-time leader among goalkeepers in matches played.[39] Kahn made his final European appearance for Bayern in a 4–0 defeat toZenit Saint Petersburg in the UEFA Cup semi-final on 1 May 2008.[40] His lastBundesliga game was the 4–1 victory againstHertha Berlin on 17 May.[41] It was his 557th appearance in the German top-flight.[42]
After a 20-year career, of which he played 14 with Bayern, he had his professional farewell in atestimonial match versus the selectGermany XI on 2 September 2008, which ended 1–1.[43] His last appearance for Bayern Munich was on 27 May 2008 at theSalt Lake Stadium (Yuba Bharati Krirangan),Kolkata, in a friendly againstMohun 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 andMichael Rensing substituted him in the 55th minute.[44]
Kahn was initially called for the Germany national team as a late back-up for the1994 FIFA World Cup, as third keeper behind veteran starterBodo Illgner andAndreas Köpke;[45] however he made his first international appearance on 23 June 1995 in a 2–1 victory againstSwitzerland,[46] two months after recovering from his cruciate ligament injury.[22] Along withOliver Reck, Kahn was a reserve keeper of the squad, which won the1996 UEFA European Championship inEngland, as the back-up to the now starting keeper Köpke.[47][48]
Oliver Kahn was recently asked if there was anyone who could tell him what to do. 'Who can?' he mused. 'The only thing which engages me is what I can do to be successful.' In other words, nobody can tell Bayern Munich's goalkeeper Oliver Kahn what to do. He is, and always has been, alone with his obsession to become the master of his chosen art.
— Amy Lawrence ofThe Guardian on Kahn's mentality, 30 June 2002.[4]
Kahn spent the1998 FIFA World Cup in France on the bench, and it was not until Köpke announced his retirement at the end of the tournament that Kahn became the starting goalkeeper.[49] Two years afterUEFA Euro 2000, in which defending champions Germany made an embarrassing exit in the group stage,[50] Kahn received the squad's captaincy, succeeding thestrikerOliver Bierhoff.[51]
Kahn experienced one of his worst performances in his international career against England in Munich in 2001. Germany were favoured to win as they had beaten England 1–0 in 2000 at theWembley Stadium.[52] However, they wererouted 5–1, including ahat-trick byMichael Owen.[53] 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.[54][55] Kahn was named the best goalkeeper in the world by IFFHS for the second time in his career.[56]
Despite Germany's comparatively low expectations when for the2002 FIFA World Cup,[57] the team advanced to the final; Kahn conceded only three goals in the course of the competition, two of which were in the Final.[58] Playing the final match with torn ligaments in his right ring finger, Kahn conceded the first goal by fumbling a rebounded shot fromRivaldo to the feet of strikerRonaldo in the 67th minute. Once the game was over with Brazil as the new champion, he stood alone and disappointed in his goal;[59][60] nevertheless he refused to blame his injury for his mistake.[61] The FIFA Technical Study Group awarded him with the Lev Yashin Award for the best goalkeeper of the tournament, while also edging out tournament top scorer Ronaldo to receive theGolden Ball for the best individual performance.[62] Kahn is the only goalkeeper in World Cup history to win the Golden Ball, and also became the first German goalkeeper to keep five clean sheets in a World Cup tournament.[63][64]
"There is no consolation [...] it was the only mistake I made in seven games and it was brutally punished".
—Oliver Kahn's statements after the final of the 2002 World Cup.[11]
Kahn maintained his number one spot forUEFA Euro 2004,[65] but Germany were once again eliminated in the group stage. Oliver Kahn gave up his captaincy toMichael Ballack after the tournament.[66]
Germany's new managerJürgen Klinsmann, who replacedRudi Völler, adopted the strategy of rotating the number one spot between Kahn and his longtime competitor,Jens Lehmann ofArsenal, to stimulate competition between the two.[67] On 7 April 2006, after two years of dispute for the position Klinsmann announced Lehmann was his first-choice goalkeeper for the2006 World Cup.[68] 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 shoot-out against Argentina.[69] In the postgame conference, Kahn publicly praised Lehmann for his two decisive penalty saves.[70]
After Germany was eliminated in the semi-finals by eventual champions 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 injuredMichael Ballack.[71] Although overshadowed byBastian Schweinsteiger's game-winning performance in the match, Kahn played to a high standard, pulling off several saves.[72] Kahn deflected a shot by Portuguese forwardPauleta after he beat the German defence, and later savedDeco's shot made from just inside the penalty area.[73] Following the match, Oliver Kahn announced his retirement from the Germany national team.[71] Throughout his international career he earned 86 caps for Germany,[74] including 49 as team captain.[75] He never won a World Cup, but finished as runner-up in 2002 and third in 2006.[29][76]
Due to his performances during the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Japan and South Korea, Kahn gained popularity in Asia.[77] He was depicted in several television commercials, including one for theShinkin bank.[78] In 2008, his wax figure in the Berlin branch of theMadame Tussaud museum was inaugurated.[79] Kahn is the subject of the songOlli Kahn by the German pop groupDie Prinzen.[80]
In 2015, the arcade game companyKonami announced that Kahn would feature in their football video gamePro Evolution Soccer 2016 as one of the new myClub Legends.[81]
After the2008 UEFA European Football Championship, he joined theZDF sports team as an analyst for the Germany national team's games.[82] In 2009, he was part of the jury of aChina Central Television reality show, which aimed to find China's best young goalkeeper.[83] As of 2011, he started negotiations with television channelSat.1 to introduce the same format to German television under the nameNever give up – The Kahn Principle, in which the winner would receive a contract to play for a Bundesliga club.[84]
On 30 August 2019, it was revealed that Kahn would join the executive board of FC Bayern Munich on 1 January 2020.[85] On 1 June 2021, it was announced that Kahn would take over the CEO position at Bayern Munich starting 1 July 2021, succeeding retiringKarl-Heinz Rummenigge.[86][87] Kahn was sacked as CEO on 27 May 2023.[88]
Kahn was born inKarlsruhe. He is partly ofLatvian descent; his father Rolf was born inLiepāja in 1943, where he remains well-known, to a Latvian mother, Ērika Alksne, and aBaltic German father, also named Rolf.[89] Rolf briefly played professionally for Karlsruher SC, as did his son Axel, Oliver Kahn's older brother.[90]
In 2009, he was offered the position of manager for theFC Schalke 04, which he turned down.[91] Two years thereafter, in April 2011, a German court fined Kahn €125,000 ($182,223) for tax evasion after failing to declare more than €6,000 of luxury clothing he bought on a trip toDubai.[92]
He supports the Munich street-football leagueBunt kickt gut,[93] which is considered a pioneer project of organised street-football and a Germany and Europe-wide model of intercultural understanding, education values and prevention;[94] the Sepp-Herberger foundation, which promotes football in schools, clubs, and prisons;[95] and the Justin Rockola Association, whose goal is the protection of young people against violence, alcohol and drugs.[96]
He received his coaching licence in 2010.[84] After having studied business at the Privatuniversität Schloss Seeburg Kahn obtained aMaster of Business Administration degree in 2012.[97] His thesis topic was "Strategic management in Germany's professional football".[98]
In 1999, Kahn married Simone, with whom he has two children: Katharina-Maria (born 28 December 1998) and David (born 7 March 2003).[99] The couple separated in 2003 and Kahn thereafter had a highly publicised relationship with Verena Kerth from 2003 to 2008. Kahn and Simone briefly reconciled in 2009, before divorcing the same year.
On 8 July 2011, Kahn married his girlfriend Svenja inMunich. The couple have a son, born in 2011.[100]
Regarded as one of the greatest and most successful goalkeepers of all time,[3] in addition to his goalkeeping technique, agility, reflexes, distribution, command of his area, and shot-stopping abilities,[45][101] Kahn is widely admired for the stamina, mental strength, and composure he showed to overcome the stresses and pressures of his career.[102][103] His profile on the Bayern Munich website lists his attributes as "impatient, disciplined, ambitious".[2]
Kahn was known for his eccentricity and charismatic leadership from the back, which often saw him call out his defenders whenever they made errors. Due to the formidable presence, commanding influence, and aggressive playing style that he showed in goal during his professional career, Kahn'sepithet is "The Titan"; he was also frequently nicknamed "King Kahn" throughout his career.[4][5][22][45][104][105][106][107]
^"Werdegang Oliver Kahn" [Career of Oliver Kahn] (in German). Oliver Kahn official website. Archived fromthe original on 24 May 2011. Retrieved24 April 2011.
^"Das Losglück hat uns verlassen" [The luck of the draw has left us].Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (in German). Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung GmbH. 1 December 2003.Archived from the original on 18 October 2012. Retrieved23 June 2011.
^"Germany is third".Der Spiegel. 7 September 2006.Archived from the original on 2 August 2008. Retrieved16 June 2011.
^"Gesucht: Chinas Titan".Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). Süddeutsche Zeitung GmbH. 9 December 2008. Archived fromthe original on 5 July 2011. Retrieved15 May 2011.
^Osang, Alexander (5 June 2002)."Wer kann mir noch was sagen?" [Who can tell me something?].Der Spiegel (in German). Spiegel-Verlag.Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved15 May 2011.
^"Justin Rockola Soforthilfe" [Justin Rockola emergency].Oliver Kahn official website (in German). Archived fromthe original on 25 March 2012. Retrieved15 May 2011.
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