BERLIN: German international goalkeeper Oliver Kahn said on Saturday that he will retire in 2008 when he will be 38.

"I am going to play for Bayern Munich for another two years after the World Cup and then this part of my life will be finished," Khan told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

"I have enjoyed success in my life and have had good and not so good moments. I want to end my career with my head high and accept the situation for what it is."

Kahn, who played in Germany's World Cup final defeat to Brazil in 2002, has already been told by national coach Jurgen Klinsmann that Arsenal's Jens Lehmann will be his starting goalkeeper for this year's finals which start on June 9.

"I accepted it," said Kahn, voted the world's best keeper in 1999 and 2001. "I had nothing to say and I left.

"I can imagine the last two years of my career will be the best. Perhaps we can reach the Champions League final again."

Kahn won the European Champions League title with Bayern in 2001 and was part of seven German league title winning teams.

One of the best

On Saturday, Kahn has once again reminded Germans why he is probably one of the best goalkeepers in the world, even if the Bayern Munich captain is no longer Germany's No 1.

Kahn made a spectacular one-handed save from a shot he never saw to ensure Bayern's 1-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the German Cup final on Saturday that followed his heroics in the semi-final two weeks ago.

Kahn, who has been relegated to Germany's bench for the World Cup behind Arsenal's Jens Lehmann, had his vision blocked by several team-mates and only caught a glimpse of Ioannis Amanatidis as the Frankfurt striker fired from close range.

But Kahn instinctively stuck out his left hand and got a finger on the shot to deflect it away.

"I needed a little bit of luck on Amanatidis's shot," said Kahn. "I didn't see a thing. It was a great feeling."

The normally intense Kahn has undergone an astonishing metamorphosis, becoming the epitome of tranquility since Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann made Lehmann his first choice.

Though heartbroken by the relegation, Kahn has surprised his doubters with an altruistic attitude and said he would accept the back-up role to Lehmann to help Germany's cause.

Kahn has also watched from a distance Lehmann's uncanny clean-sheet streak in the Champions League and his heroics in last week's semi-final against Villareal.

"As unfortunate as it was for me from a sporting perspective to find out I won't be playing at the World Cup, I have to say that I have not felt so liberated inside and or felt so much joy about my job as I do now," said Kahn, 36.

Kahn had shown unfamiliar signs of sloppiness towards the end of the battle against Lehmann, making a number of costly or embarrassing errors for Bayern and for Germany in recent months.

After Klinsmann stripped him of his captaincy and made Lehmann his equal in a goalkeeper rotation in 2004, Kahn had been anger personified.

Their tense battle had divided the nation clearly into pro-Kahn or pro-Lehmann camps.

"I'm not thinking about the World Cup now," Kahn said after leading Bayern to their third Cup in four years and fifth in the last nine years. It was also his record fifth Cup victory.

"I'm an employee of Bayern Munich and that's my focus now. We have a chance to defend our double and that's all the motivation I need right now. No one has ever done that before."

Bayern are five points clear at the top of the table with three matches left and are chasing their 20th German championship. Landing back-to-back doubles would be a unique feat in Germany's Bundesliga era, dating back to 1963.

Source: China Daily