Auf Wiedersehen to Oliver Kahn

By: Daryl | May 15th, 2008

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNOzHvsEmg4

The Offside has made plenty of jokes about Oliver Kahn in our time, mostly because he’s a big scary looking monster of a man. But he’s also a world class keeper. Feast your eyes on the highlights above. When Khan’s not yelling at defenders till their ears bleed he’s busy making incredible saves. I particularly like the successful slide tackle on 2:25.

After hanging up his international gloves in 2006, Kahn will play his last game for Bayern Munich this Saturday at home to Hertha Berlin. And then that’s it. No more Oliver Kahn.

After the game, Kahn can look back on a career that yielded eight Bundesliga titles and six German Cups, including the double this season. And though Kahn’s magnificent performance at the 2002 World Cup was ruined by an error in the final, he can still console himself with a 2001 Champions League winners medal, which he earned by making saves in the penalty shootout vs Valencia.

He’s one of the great goalkeepers of all time.

So how do Bayern teammates Franck Ribery and Daniel van Buyten thank him? With a bucket of water on the head of course:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_zGVPmU36U

[video via FANartisch]

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Category: Bundesliga

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Scottay

"Check out the 2:00 mark of the video and remember when Landon Donovan was fearless. As incredible as it seems, Kahn prevented the US from being in a World Cup semi."

Oliver was a big part of it, but so was the Torsten Frings handball on the goal line. I think if that ball goes in (or he gets the red and we +1 on the penalty), we march past Das Germans.

Fine! I admit it - I'm still bitter!!
Juliet

Truly among the greatest. Olli, you'll be missed but not forgotten! (impossible, actually, since rumor is that he'll be back as a pundit next year)
adam

id like to see him and inzaghi get into a fight. that would be very funny.
Chris

Check out the 2:00 mark of the video and remember when Landon Donovan was fearless. As incredible as it seems, Kahn prevented the US from being in a World Cup semi.
Daryl

"It’s a nice change of pace to have a montage of great saves instead of step overs or long-range shots."

Totally agree Scottay. I also enjoyed the Maldini montage of slide tackles yesterday. YouTube is definitely a bit top-heavy with goals and stepovers.
Jan

Also noteworthy: he won the WC 2002 Golden Ball for best player. Which no other goalkeeper has achieved.
Scottay

It's a nice change of pace to have a montage of great saves instead of step overs or long-range shots.

That being said, I've never been much of a fan of his (probably because he wore that hat way too often). But after seeing how juiced he got towards the end of the video after making an incredible save on that laser-volley, and watching him have a nice pint while lifting Big Ears, I'm almost ready to be a fan. Cheers, Ollie!
Laurie

And not only that. It's not every goalkeeper who's bad enough to have a song like this written about him.

You have no idea how disturbed I am by how much I love this song. And I don't speak a word of German.