The scene that will remain in the memory was his biggest mistake in the FC Bayern Munich jersey. But in the 214 competitive games that followed, Jean-Marie Pfaff became a club legend.
Like hardly any other club in Germany, the goalkeepers have repeatedly shaped an era at FC Bayern Munich. First Sepp Maier, later Oliver Kahn and Manuel Neuer. In between there was also the “Jean-Marie Pfaff era” for six years. From 1982 to 1988, the always good-humored Belgian – nicknamed “El Sympatico” – looked after the goal of the German record champions as the successor to Manfred Müller and Walter Junghans. To this day he is a welcome guest on Säbener Straße or at home games in the arena. This Monday Pfaff celebrates his 70th birthday.
On August 21, 1982, Pfaff got off to the worst possible start after his move from SK Beveren to Munich for a fee of around one million German marks: On the first matchday of the season, Pfaff received a long throw-in from Uwe in the game at Werder Bremen Reinders – the mistake led to the 0-1 defeat and is still probably Pfaff’s best-known scene in his six years in the Bundesliga.
Jean-Marie Pfaff misses a throw-in from Bremen’s Uwe Reinders in his first Bundesliga game for FC Bayern
Despite this unsuccessful competitive debut, Pfaff subsequently enjoyed six successful years in Munich. With strong performances, but also his likeable demeanor, Pfaff quickly became a crowd favorite. He was soon considered a worthy successor to Bayern legend Sepp Maier, who ended his career in 1979.
Three times champion, twice cup winner with FC Bayern
With FC Bayern, Pfaff became German champion three times (1985 to 1987), twice DFB Cup winner (1984 and 1986) alongside players like Lothar Matthäus, Klaus Augenthaler and Andreas Brehme, and also reached the final of the European Cup in 1987 Forerunner of today’s Champions League. However, in the final in Vienna, Bayern lost 2-1 against FC Porto.
In the meantime, Pfaff lost his regular place in the Bayern goal to Raimund Aumann, but fought his way back into the starting eleven before leaving FC Bayern for Belgium in 1988. He played one more season each at Lierse SK and the Turkish first division club Trabzonspor before ending his active career in 1990.
World goalkeeper and Belgium’s footballer of the year
Pfaff played a total of 64 international matches for Belgium between 1976 and 1987. In 1980 he became European runner-up with his national team. Pfaff also received various honors. The most important: In 1978 he was Belgium’s footballer of the year, in 1987 he won the election as world goalkeeper ahead of Rinat Dassayev and Walter Zenga.
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Source: BR24Sport on the radio December 4th, 2023 – 7:55 a.m
