The safest hands in Stuttgart

By Manfred Christoph

Timo Hildebrand, the VfB Stuttgart goalkeeper, set a new landmark in German football in his last Bundesliga match. His clean sheet in the 0-0 draw with 1. FC Köln meant the 24-year-old has now gone 825 minutes without conceding a goal - bettering the previous record of 802 minutes set by Oliver Kahn last season.

International aspirations
Hildebrand also has an eye on Kahn's place in the German national team, although he may have to wait until after the 2006 FIFA World Cup for that particular honour. Still, by taking Kahn's 'Nullinger' record, as it is called in Germany, he must have done his international prospects the power of good.

Nine matches unbeaten
Hildebrand last conceded a Bundesliga goal in the penultimate match of last season when Stuttgart were beaten 2-1 by FC Bayern München. They ended the campaign with a 2-0 victory against VfL Wolfsburg and Hildebrand's run had begun. Eight games into the present season and he remains unbeaten.

Kahn comparison
On the bigger picture, and his international ambitions, however, Hildebrand is not getting carried away. "I have time and I hope that I will reach my main goal one day," he said. "At 24 I still lack some things compared to Kahn. The difference between me and him is still too big in every respect."

'No figures in mind'
While Hildebrand has underlined his respect for Kahn, the Bayern man himself complained that the Stuttgart keeper's record had been achieved over two seasons. Hildebrand, however, said his record "goes despite Kahn's criticism" although he refused to set any further targets: "I don't have any figures in mind."

Gym work
Hildebrand has been at Stuttgart since 1995, coming through the youth ranks. He gained valuable European experience in their run to the UEFA Cup fourth round last term. This season has brought a first taste of UEFA Champions League football, including a memorable victory over Manchester United FC on Matchday 2. Off the pitch, Hildebrand has been working hard in the gym to add muscle and power to his slim physique.

Coach comments
His coach Felix Magath predicts a bright future for the former German Under-21 international: "Timo has a great career ahead of him. It is impressive that he holds the record at such a young age. Now people will look at him closer and he has to prove his worth with good performances."

Support from defence
Hildebrand is, of course, helped by the defensive qualities of last season's Bundesliga runners-up and current league leaders: Andreas Hinkel, Fernando Meira, Marcelo Bordon and Philipp Lahm form an impressive quartet in front of him.

Team effort
Hinkel, a German international, stressed that his team-mates had shared in Hildebrand's record: "This is a record for the whole team," he said. The goalkeeper himself has given his "thanks to the whole side who made this happen". Indeed, after the breaking of Kahn's record was announced on the scoreboard at the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion during the draw with Köln, Hildebrand said: "I don't like that. It is not fair to celebrate a single player in the middle of a match."