Oliver Kahn set to visit India after 15 years

Oliver Kahn first visited India in 2008, when he played his farewell game in Kolkata.

German football legend Oliver Kahn has confirmed that he will make a return to India later in November. This will mark his first visit to India 15 years after he played the final match of his esteemed career in 2008.

Kahn confirmed his intention of returning to India on Twitter (X), as he tweeted: “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.”

It is yet to be confirmed which cities Kahn will be visiting or if he will be involved in any seminars or workshops to interact with Indian footballers. His statement indicates that he might visit some football academy and even have interactions with the fans as well.

This comes after the AIFF (All India Football Federation) confirmed that former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will visit India in November. Wenger is expected to hold a special seminar with representatives of the I-League, Indian Super League clubs and football NGOs too.

Oliver Kahn is aware of the Indian football fraternity and its craze for the sport. He got a first-hand experience of that while playing at the Salt Lake Stadium in 2008. The German legend played his career’s final game as part of the Bayern Munich team which was hosted by Mohun Bagan in May, 2008.

The Bavarians came out of that game with a 3-0 win, in which Zan Schaldrauff scored a brace and Ze Roberto also got a goal. Kahn played in front of a 130,000-strong crowd who were all there to give him a grand farewell. He played only the first half and was glittered with an ovation by the Indian football fraternity.

Oliver Kahn has had a pretty shaky 2023 at a personal level. He was sacked as the Bayern Munich CEO on 27 May, 2023 – the same day when the Bavarians dramatically clinched the 2022-23 Bundesliga title over Borussia Dortmund. He will look to use his expertise and footballing IQ to get a better understanding of the state of Indian football and give tips on how things can be improved.

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