Timo Hildebrand: vfB Stuttgart’s goalie and Germany’s future
Joachim Low our new national coach will not have the services of stalwart, Oliver Kahn who retired recently from international soccer. However he still has Jens Lehmann and the young hearthrob, Timo Hildebrand to work with. Hildebrand is most likely to take over as the no 1 goalie once Lehmann retires.
Olli Kahn was an establishment favorite who Klinsi used, to position himself, as an independent operator, not kowtowing to Der Kaiser and Uli Hoeness’s diktat. Kahn saw his role decreased during Klinsi’s time. He was stripped of captaincy and then he lost his starting position to Jens Lehmann for this World Cup. To Kahn’s credit he swallowed these painful insults and during the PK shootout with Argentina was seen encouraging Lehmann.
We will miss him because not only was he a great goalkeeper, he was also an entertaining fellow. Olli Kahn will continue playing for Bayern for another two years till the end of his contract.