On the same day that Kahn played his final match abroad, German goalkeeper Silke Rottenberg surprisingly announced her retirement from the national team. The 36-year-old cited increasing injury problems as the reason for her decision. Moreover, she did not want to be number two behind Nadine Angerer at the Olympic Football Tournament in Beijing. Angerer kept goal for Germany at the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in China last year, when Germany won the title, and was in¬strumental in the team’s success. Rottenberg intends to continue playing for another year for 1. FFC Frankfurt, with whom she recently won the UEFA Cup. Afterwards, the sports soldier from the German army plans to bring down the curtain on her playing career. As a player, Rottenberg has won virtually all there is to win in wom¬en’s football. She tasted success in the European Championship three times (1997, 2001, 2005), the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ twice (2003, 2007) and also won a bronze medal twice at the Olympic Games (2000, 2004). Her most memorable performance came at the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in 2003, when she drove defending champions and hosts USA to despair with some unbelievable saves during Germany’s 3-0 semi-final victory. That same year, Rottenberg was crowned the World’s Best Goalkeeper.

Oliver Kahn, one of the greats of world football, made one last appear¬ance abroad on 27 May 2008, when the 38-year-old goalkeeper played his penultimate match for Bayern Munich in front of a crowd of 120,000 in the tropical heat of Kolkata, India. The German giants won the friendly against Mohun Bagan AC, the oldest foot¬ball club in Asia, 3-0. Despite the 40-degree heat, the thunderous welcome in the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata was enough to send shivers down the spine even of Kahn, who can look back on 21 years as a professional and 14 seasons at Bayern Munich. “It’s quite some¬thing special to play your last match abroad in front of such a huge crowd,” said the Bayern captain. Neither he nor his Bayern team-mates had ever played in front of so many people be¬fore. Kahn made way for his successor Michael Rensing in the 55th minute, leaving the field to tumultuous ap¬plause from the Indian fans. Before his final match abroad, Kahn was pre¬sented with a gold trophy adorned with 8,640 diamonds by the hosts, and during the half-time interval he was showered with cups and other awards. “Many thanks. This is a great moment in my career,” said Kahn, who will bid farewell to his Munich fans in a match against the German na¬tional team at the Allianz Arena in August. Kahn, a FIFA World Cup™ finalist in 2002, Champions League and Intercontinental Cup Winner in 2001, UEFA Cup winner and European Championship winner in 1996, eight-time German champion and six-time German Cup winner, was voted Best European Goalkeeper four times, World’s Best Goalkeeper three times and German Footballer of the Year twice. He will work as a football pun¬dit for the German television channel ZDF in future.

Kevin Kuranyi
Born: 2 March 1982 in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
Nationalities: Brazilian, Panamanian and German
Height: 1.90 m
Weight: 80kg
Position: Striker
Clubs: 1988-1993: Serrano FC Petropolis (Panama). 1993-1994: Las Promesas Panama, 1994-1996: Serrano FC Petropolis. 1996-1997: Las Promesas Panama. 1997-2005: VfB Stuttgart. Since July 2005: Schalke.
Honours: 2004: Played in EURO in Portugal. 2008: Played in EURO in Austria and Switzerland. 78 goals in 193 Bundesliga matches. 46 international appearances for Germany, 19 goals.
Miscellaneous: He was born in Brazil and grew up in Panama. His family originally comes from Hungary on his father’s side. Kevin Kuranyi is married with a son and a daughter.

20 Questions 20 Answers
1. What does football mean to you?
It is my life.
2. Which football club did you support as a child?
Flamengo.
3. Did you ever have an idol?
Yes, two – Romario und Garrincha.
4. What is your fondest footballing memory?
Fighting my way back into the German national team and reaching the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League with Schalke.
5. What has been your biggest disappointment in football?
Being left out of the Germany squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ in Germany.
6. If you had not become a professional footballer, what would you have been?
I would have trained in a commercial field.
7. What is your favourite type of music?
Reggaeton.
8. And your favourite book?
The Bible.
9. Your favourite film?
Men of Honor.
10. Your favourite city?
Can I say two? Rio de Janeiro and Panama City.
11. What is your favourite food?
Feijoada — a bean stew that’s very popular in Brazil.
12. What is your favourite hobby?
Playing beach volleyball.
13. What do you spend most of your money on?
My family.
14. What was your first job?
I sold stones at school.
15. Who has been the most influential figure in world history?
Jesus Christ.
16. What are you afraid of?
Nothing and nobody.
17. What was the most embarrassing moment in your life?
There have certainly been sad and serious situations in my life, but I can’t recall an embarrassing moment.
18. How do you see the future of the world?
Many challenges lie ahead of us. We must accept these and overcome them with humanity and respect for nature.
19. Where would you like to go on holiday?
To Bora Bora (Tahiti).
20. Whom would you most like to meet?
I can’t think of anybody I’d like to meet at the moment. I’d like to have spent more time with my grandfathers.

YES OR NO?
Will Schalke be German champions in 2008-09? Yes
Are you superstitious? No
Are you interested in women’s football? Yes
Are you vain? Yes
Is Kaka the world’s best footballer at present? No