Why BVB’s Westfalenstadion held a special place for Oliver Kahn | OneFootball

Meanwhile, Oliver Kahn, long-time goalkeeper for FC Bayern Munich and not quite as long for the German national team, is now 56 years old. When he looks back on his active time in the Bundesliga, he names Borussia Dortmund's Westfalenstadion as one that stood out in several aspects. Here are the details of the recent statements from the former "Titan".

Recently, an issue of the 11Freunde special magazine series was released with the theme "Stadiums". It covers all conceivable facets of what there is to report about the football arenas. From the beginnings of architecture for the often large crowds, to the impact of the different atmospheres, and not least, how the stadiums affect the protagonists, namely the players.

Oliver Kahn was one such player in the Bundesliga between 1987 and 2008, and thus for more than two decades. He initially debuted in his hometown of Karlsruhe for KSC. In 1994, he moved to FC Bayern Munich, with whom he subsequently won numerous titles, not only, but especially in the Bundesliga. Through these more than 20 years in his role as the often disliked keeper of FC Bayern, hardly anyone else can look back on such extensive experiences as an active player in Bundesliga stadiums as Oliver Kahn.

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Kahn: Power of the fans in Dortmund "extremely strong"

When asked why he ended his career at all, Kahn explains that he could no longer achieve the necessary tension he deemed essential for a professional performance. This was the case even when he played in front of 75,000 spectators in Munich or 80,000 in Dortmund.

In BVB's Westfalenstadion, the "power emanating from the masses" was always the most intense. At the same time, he also received the most beer cups thrown at him from the South Stand of today's Signal Iduna Park compared to any other stadium in the league. The special rivalry between BVB and FCB was always reflected in the stadium's atmosphere, says Kahn, who considered BVB the great rival at that time.

However, the best atmosphere in all the games of his career was not experienced at Borussia Dortmund's Westfalenstadion. That was away at Real Madrid, in the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. And as much as he enjoyed playing at the home Munich Olympic Stadium, when it was in good shape: In the Bundesliga, no experience was more intense for Oliver Kahn than playing in the Westfalenstadion.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.