Jean-Marie Pfaff was one of the most successful and well-known goalkeepers in world football in the 1980s. From 1982 to 1988 he played a total of 156 Bundesliga games for Bayern Munich. The cheerful Belgian, who was nicknamed "El Sympatico", was German champion three times with FC Bayern and won the DFB Cup twice. In 1987, Pfaff was recognized as the first world goalkeeper in football history. The now 67-year-old made 64 senior international appearances for his home country Belgium and finished runners-up in Europe with the “Red Devils” in 1980 and fourth at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. During his playing days, he measured himself against the greats of world football, such as Franz Beckenbauer, Diego Maradona, Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini and Lothar Matthäus. The legendary Sepp Maier, who was Pfaff's predecessor between the Munich posts, once called him "one of us". And Oliver Kahn, the current CEO and long-time goalkeeper at FC Bayern, described Pfaff as a "great role model". In 2004, superstar Pelé named him to the FIFA 100, a list of the 125 best living footballers. Even today, Pfaff enjoys a high reputation in world football. His comments on current events are in demand by the media, and even the fans have never forgotten "their Jean-Marie" after all these years.

 

 

SK BEVEREN

 

1972 - 1982

​305 league games in Belgium

14 European Cup games

1978: Belgian Cup Winner

1978: Golden Boot winner

1979: Belgian champion

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FC BAYERN MUNICH

 

1982 - 1988

​156 Bundesliga games

33 European Cup games

1984: DFB Cup winner

1985: German Champion

1986: German Champion

1986: DFB Cup winner

1987: German Champion

1987: European Cup finalist of the national champions

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K LIERSE SK

 

1988 -1989

​23 league games in Belgium

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TRABZONSPOR

 

1989 -1990

​22 league games in Turkey

1990: Cup finalist

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BELGIUM NATIONAL TEAM

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1976 -1987

​64 A internationals for Belgium

1980: Vice European Champion in Italy

1982: 2nd round at the World Cup in Spain

1984: 1st round at the European Championships in France

1986: 4th place at the World Championships in Mexico

1987: 1st world goalkeeper in history

2004: Voted into the FIFA 100

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