Kahn will be part of the jury on a show that searches for Chinese football talent in early 2009, the paper reported.

“Oliver is very excited about the project, but is taking it very seriously. It’s not yet decided if the show will only showcase goalkeepers, or also field players and perhaps even a girl,” Kahn’s manager Peter Ruppert told the paper, adding that negotiations continued with various television stations for broadcasting rights.

Kahn will speak English as one of the show’s judges.

The show, based in Shanghai, will not be a parody, though. “We will work very seriously with football on this show,” Kahn told the paper. “We will do everything to find the best players.”

The 39-year-old former FC Bayern star gained widespread fame in Asia during the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea when he reached the final with the German national team.