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The Week in Germany: Sports August 25, 2006 Kahn Considers Retirement Date Bayern Munich goalkeeper Oliver Kahn is considering the best time to bring down the curtain on his illustrious career. Once ranked the top goalie in the world, Kahn hung up his international boots by ending his German national team career after this summer's World Cup. Now the 37-year-old soccer superstar has revealed that the next season he plays for top German team Bayern Munich could be his last nine months between the posts. "I have a good feeling about when I will retire. If we were to win the Champions League in 2007, that would be a good time," he recently told German soccer magazine kicker. "I would take the trophy home and never return," added the Bayern Munich team captain, who was named best player and goalkeeper at the 2002 World Cup and played his 500th Bundesliga German national league game on August 11. Before being demoted to Germany's number two goalkeeper ahead of the 2006 World Cup, Kahn had reportedly been contemplating playing on for a further four years, as long as he still felt physically capable. Yet - even though his official motto is "never give up" - the disappointment of no longer being first choice for his country appears to have altered his expectations and the end of his current contract with Bayern Munich could be his last, according to reports. "I have a deal until 2008 and cannot imagine still playing after then," he told kicker. Kahn also expressed concerns over the future of football, as soccer is commonly called across the globe, lamenting what he perceived as a clearly discernable shift away from the real fans to a globalised business model. "Football lives alone from the true fans, who are not interested in pre-match entertainment, television revenue, VIP seating and warm buffets -they love the game," said the man nicknamed 'Oli' and hailed as the 'Titan'. "They don't come to see and be seen. Football survives on them." Links: |
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