One of the greatest goalkeepers of all-time, Oliver Kahn from Germany, has announced his return to India next week after playing his farewell game for Bayern Munich against Mohun Bagan in the South Asian country, during the year 2008. The 54-year-old spoke about how excited he is to dive into the rich culture of India, meet the fans, and see how much football has developed in the country.
On May 27, 2008, Oliver Kahn made his last appearance for Bayern Munich against the oldest club in Asia, Mohun Bagan, at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata. In front of a jam-packed crowd of 120,000 strong, the German received a grand farewell, with the match ending in favour of the visitors by a 3-0 margin, thanks to the brace from Jan Schlaudraff and a goal from Ze Roberto.
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Furthermore, the match had on-field violence between Breno of Bayern Munich and Branco Cardozo of Mohun Bagan in the 83rd minute. After these two players lost their tempers, Breno kicked Branco, which led to them starting an ugly fight on the field, which led to both of them receiving red cards by the referee.
Fast forward to November 4, 2023, Oliver Kahn sent out a post on his official X account to announce his return to India. He addressed the football fans of India with “Namaste,” before calling his farewell game in the country as “absolutely fantastic.”
His post read, “Namaste. In 2008 my absolutely fantastic farewell game took place in India. Next week I will return to this stunning country, dive into its rich culture, meet football enthusiasts and learn more about the development of football in India.”