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FOOTBALL

Oliver Kahn plays final game

Former Bayern Munich and Germany goalkeeper Oliver Kahn bowed out of the game on Tuesday after 20 years as a professional, his testimonial at Bayern’s Allianz-Arena finishing 1-1 between Bayern and a German select XI.

Oliver Kahn plays final game
Photo: DPA

Kahn, 39, who made 557 appearances in the Bundesliga for Karlsruhe and Bayern, bade farewell, having insisted Monday that “there aren’t many things I miss” about the game. Kahn played the match for Bayern, with whom he won eight league titles as well as the Champions League in 2001. He was also voted player of the tournament at the 2002 World Cup, where he helped Die Mannschaft reach the final only for a mistake to give Brazil the opening goal in a 2-0 win for the South Americans.

His final game was played under new Bayern coach Jürgen Klinsmann, who famously dropped him at the 2006 World Cup. But the only blot on the evening was a goal he conceded after 33 minutes. “Tonight was very moving for me, perhaps the most moving moment of my career,” he said.

“I was under pressure my whole career, whereas now I just had the joy of being out there in this stadium and before these fans one last time.” After 75 minutes and several top-drawer saves Kahn gave way to Michael Rensing in the Bayern goal before embarking on a lap of honour to cheers from the 50,000 fans at the Allianz-Arena.

“It’s the end of an extraordinary part of my life but also the start of something new,” said Kahn, whose only regret – aside from not capturing the World Cup – was not scoring a league goal.

He will now begin working as a TV consultant on September 10, when Germany meets Finland in a World Cup qualifier.

RACISM

VIDEO: Spain’s La Liga reviews video of boy racially abusing Vinicius

Spain's La Liga on Monday said it was reviewing a video of a child making racist insults towards Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior during the 2-2 draw with Valencia at the weekend.

VIDEO: Spain's La Liga reviews video of boy racially abusing Vinicius

“We’re in the process of studying and analysing the facts from a legal standpoint to see what we can and should do,” La Liga sources said.

In a video published by a journalist for ESPN Brasil, and picked up by Spanish media, a boy sitting in a woman’s lap can be heard calling Vinicius a “monkey”.

https://twitter.com/GravesenFumado/status/1764242481984491822

The Brazilian scored twice for Madrid as his team recovered from two goals down at Mestalla on Saturday.

Vinicius raised his fist in a “Black Power” salute after the first of his two goals at a ground where he was racially abused last season. Valencia subsequently banned three people from the stadium for life.

The 23-year-old has become a symbol of the fight against discrimination in Spanish football after suffering racist abuse on many occasions, and he was jeered repeatedly by home supporters on Saturday.

Jude Bellingham was sent off after the final whistle against Valencia for protesting after the referee blew the final whistle right before the England midfielder headed home what he thought was the winning goal.

READ ALSO: Football star Vinicius highlights racist behaviour from Spanish fans

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