Kahn Retires in 2008
January 7, 2007
Kahn retired from international soccer after last summer's World Cup finals. But at age 37, he decided to play on for another two years at club level.
"I will honor my contract with Bayern until 2008 and after that it will be the right time at 39 years to call a halt and concentrate on something else," he told the Sunday edition of Bild newspaper.
Kahn has been with Bayern since joining them from Karlsruhe in 1994 and has played 516 times for the Bavarian giants winning seven German league titles, and five German Cups as well as the 2001 Champions league title and the 1996 UEFA Cup.
They are currently lying third in the Bundesliga, three points adrift of leaders Werder Bremen.
Bayern set for record spending spree
Bayern Munich manager Uli Hoeness meanwhile revealed Sunday that the German champions are ready to go on a multi-million euro spending spree in order to compete with the top clubs in Europe for the best players.
"If we think we need to spend 40 million euros ($52 million ) to buy three players, we'll do it," Hoeness told the weekly Welt am Sonntag newspaper.
The Bayern boss said that they were willing to match the big-spending clubs in England, Spain and Italy.
"We've changed our way of approaching this issue: we're ready to spend more than before," said Hoeness. "We have several dossiers in the pipeline, one transfer is almost completed and the other is on the right track. We're going for transfers which will show that we have a very offensive policy."
Bayern have already recruited German striker Jan Schlaudraff and are also interested in signing Marseille's French international Franck Ribery. Ribery, however, has indicated he would favour a move to either Spain's La Liga or the English Premiership if he leaves the French club.
No interest in Klose?
Hoeness added that they would not be actively pursuing German international striker Miroslav Klose, whose contract with Werder Bremen expires in 2008.
"If he indicates that he is ready to leave Bremen and is ready to join another club in Germany then we can talk," he said.
Klose was the top scorer in the Bundesliga for the 2005-06 season and at the 2006 World Cup, but has not decided yet whether he will extend his stay at Werder Bremen or play abroad.