Oliver Kahn

Time running out for captain Kahn

Germany's goalkeeper Oliver Kahn gestures during the Germany vs China friendly football match in Hamburg 12 October 2005. Germany won the match 1-0. AFP PHOTO DDP/JOCHEN LUEBKE

Bayern Munich's captain and goalkeeper Oliver Kahn holds aloft the German soccer champion's trophy among jubilating teammates 17 May 2003 after the 33rd day German Bundesliga match Bayern Muenchen vs VfB Stuttgart at Munich's Olympic stadium. Bayern Muenchen is German champion for the 18th time. AFP PHOTO DDP/ROBERT MICHAEL GERMANY OUT

Oliver Kahn, voted player of the tournament at the 2002 World Cup, will this time have to content himself with a supersub role behind Arsenal's Jens Lehmann, a terrible disappointment for the Bayern Munich captain.

Now in the twilight of what has been a formidable career, Kahn has enjoyed twelve thrilling seasons including 100 champions league matches at Bayern Munich since joining them from Karlsruhe back in 1994.

Six Bundesliga titles later and at 37 he lost his first choice role in the German team when national coach Jurgen Klinsmann who had been rotating the two in the run up to the finals, announced that the younger man now had the right to top spot, for now at least.

Early Days

Kahn started to play competitively at the age of six in his home town club Karlsruhe, a year after Germany won the 1974 World Cup on home soil.

At 18 he was playing for the professional team and had seven years in goal with this mid-table club before Bayern recruited him.

This was just before the 1994 World Cup in the United States, where he was in the squad with Andreas Kopke as a replacement for Bodo Illgner.

At Bayern, Kahn completed his range of technical skills under the orders of the former West German hero Sepp Maier and with the Bavarian club he began to build up his honours list: a UEFA cup in 1996 (against Bordeaux) the first of six German championships.

Sheer Kahn

Bayern Munich's goalkeeper Oliver Kahn holds the trophy as his teammates celebrate after winning the European football Champions League final match between Bayern Munich and Valencia 23 May 2001 at San Siro Stadium in Milan. Bayern Munich won the title after extra time and penalty kicks.

Euro 96 was the scene of his first international title, but he was again Kopke's understudy and did not play a game, just as at the World Cup in 1998.

His patience was rewarded when Kopke retired from international football following the disastrous World Cup quarter-final in 1998 when Croatia humiliated Germany 3-0 in France.

Bayern Munich's goalkeeper Oliver Kahn stops a penalty kick during the European football Champions League final match between Bayern Munich and Valencia 23 May 2001 at San Siro Stadium in Milan. Bayern Munich won the title after extra time and penalty kicks.

After the Champions League victory against Valencia in 2001, he was elevated by the German press to the rank of "God of football" when he saved two Spanish penalties in the shoot-out.

Brazil's forward Ronaldo scores the first goal against Germany's team captain and goalkeeper Oliver Kahn during the final match of the FIFA 2002 World Cup Korea Japan at International Stadium Yokohama 30 June, 2002, in Yokohama, Japan. Brazil won the final 2-0. AFP PHOTO/PATRICK HERTZOG

The 2002 World Cup provided mixed fortunes for Kahn as he soaked up accolades as the world's greatest 'keeper by carrying Germany into the final.

But in the decider against Brazil he failed to hang on to a low drive from Rivaldo, allowing Ronaldo to tap home the rebound and give Brazil a crucial 1-0 lead.

Germany never recovered and the South Americans added a second goal to pick up their record fifth title (2-0).