A STORY OF OLLIE, THE BIG-HEARTED GOALIE

As I spent some time at home reading the stale sport news, I came across a great story I missed out (for remember, I missed all the quarter finals, and it started then).
Among lots of stars with ill-behaviors, Oliver Kahn was like a rose among the thorns.
The world cup slogan, A Time to Make Friends, seemed to be so real to him, who chose to change a heated rivalry into a beautiful friendship.
Ollie was well-known as a great but stubborn, selfish, and arrogant star. Some had thought the guy would rather kill himself than not be the number one, but to our surprise, he was still willing to join Der Panzer in the last World Cup. The one who was awarded the best player in World Cup 2002 (imagine, a goalkeeper got that!) humbled himself low enough to just sit on the bench and watched and feel sad (if you’re a substitute goalie on a big tournament, you’ll know so well you will not play at all unless the main goalie is dead), after became the number one, plus the captain (which was taken from him by Michael Ballack), for so long.
“It was the lowest phase in my career,” he admitted.
His biggest enemy then was not one of the strikers from the opposite teams, for he knew he would not be the one saving the net which had been his home. No, not them, but Jens Lehmann, the one who took his main place on the team because age had taken its toll.
Some wanted their rivalry to be hotter by saying comments like this one, “Ohh, didn’t I see a smile on Kahn’s face when Lehmann was defeated?”, but all the cynics’ comments were silenced when Ollie stood up and came to Lehmann, shook his hand and pat his shoulder, as a sincere encouragement before the penalty shoot-outs against Argentina. And Ollie also was the one consoling Lehmann after they lost tragically against Italy on the semi-final, just two minutes before the game ended.
And Jens Lehmann, was also noble enough to respond as warm as the hand being reached out to him. He, who previously said he deserved the number one better than Ollie, gave up his place to his now true friend, knowing it would be something he wanted the most before saying goodbye to his professional career as a footballer. Jens wanted Ollie to play in a game for the third position, which they finally won, not only as a sweet memory of the last game, but also of an end of enmity, and a start of a life-long fraternity.
The arrogance of Ollie is now gone, and his heart is much bigger because of that. He was awarded his old position, as a goalkeeper and a captain (for Ballack was injured), and a standing ovation from all of the audience.
What example he set! What a legacy! And that’s how a true star should be – sparkling with love, not enthralled by hatred or vengeance.