 Pfaff in 2007 | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1953-12-04)4 December 1953 (age 71) | |||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Lebbeke,East Flanders, Belgium | |||||||||||||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | |||||||||||||
| Position | Goalkeeper | |||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||
| 1972–1982 | Beveren | 305 | (0) | |||||||||||
| 1982–1988 | Bayern Munich | 156 | (0) | |||||||||||
| 1988–1989 | Lierse | 23 | (0) | |||||||||||
| 1989–1990 | Trabzonspor | 22 | (0) | |||||||||||
| Total | 506 | (0) | ||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||
| 1976–1987 | Belgium | 64 | (0) | |||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||
| 1998–1999 | K.V. Oostende | |||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||
Jean-Marie Pfaff (born 4 December 1953) is a Belgian former professionalfootballer who played as agoalkeeper[1] and spent most of his professional career withBeveren andBayern Munich. Pfaff was capped 64 times playing forBelgium, and participated at the1982 FIFA World Cup and1986 FIFA World Cup tournaments. Pfaff was named goalkeeper of the 1986 FIFA World Cup, and he was the first player to receive theIFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper award in 1987.[2]
Pfaff was born inLebbeke, East Flanders. He grew up in a family of 12 children (6 boys, 6 girls). His father was a door-to-door salesman of fabrics and carpets. The Pfaff family lived in a caravan in Lebbeke and in the summer, the whole family was obliged to help their father with sales.[3]
As a street footballer, his goalkeeping skills were quickly noticed. Pfaff joined the youth team ofEendracht Aalst, the club of his brothers Louis and Jean-Baptist Pfaff. When Louis and Jean-Baptist arranged a transfer toKSK Beveren in 1965, the younger brothers Jean-Marie and Toon also made the switch to theWaasland club.[4]
When Jean-Marie Pfaff was barely 12, his father died of cancer. Obviously, this had enormous consequences for the family.[5]
At the end of the1971–72 season, Aged 18, Pfaff made his debut for the first team of Beveren in theBelgian First Division. By then, it was already certain that the club would be relegated to thesecond division. The following season, Pfaff became a regular goalkeeper. Beveren also became champions, which meant the team was immediately promoted back to the first division.[6]
At the end of the second half of the1973–74 season, Pfaff was moved to the bench by coachJef Jurion, but underUrbain Braems he became the first goalkeeper in the1974–75 season.
During the1977–78 season, Pfaff reached the Belgian top with SK Beveren. The team then just missed out on the European places in the competition (5th place), but it did manage to reach theBelgian Cup final for the first time. With a 2–0 victory againstCharleroi after a few decisive saves by Pfaff, the team also grabbed the cup. This allowed them to compete in Europe the following season.[7] In 1978, Jean-Marie Pfaff won theBelgian Golden Shoe, a trophy that is rarely awarded to goalkeepers.[8]
Beveren would reach its peak in the1978–79 season. The club became national champion for the first time in its existence, with Pfaff not conceding a goal in half of the matches (17). In theEuropean Cup Winners' Cup, Beveren surprisingly eliminatedInter Milan in the quarter-finals after strong performances by Pfaff. In the semi-finals they were eliminated byBarcelona after two 1–0 defeats. These were Pfaff's first goals conceded in the tournament (both penalties).[9]
Beveren reached the Belgian Cup final again in 1980, after a brilliant performance by Pfaff in the return match of the semi-final againstStandard. However, the cup final was surprisingly lost against underdogThor Waterschei (1–2) and so the team was deprived of European Cup football the following season.[10] That1980–81 season ended in a major downer for Pfaff when he was suspended for four months by theRBFA on 11 March 1981. After all, Pfaff had allegedly kneed linesman Thirion after the cup match at home against Lokeren. In those days, the officials' report was all that mattered, but television images would later show that there was no question of a knee strike at all.[11] After the1982 FIFA World Cup, the 28-year old Pfaff moved to the German top club Bayern Munich for a transfer fee equivalent to 400,000 euros.[12]
In Munich he didn't only discovered a new football culture, but he was also exposed to the immense pressure of an absolute top club. Despite a false start in his debut match atBremen (he underestimated one ofUwe Reinders' famous long throw-ins and rebounded the ball into his own goal), Pfaff quickly became an indispensable link in the team.[13] Three years after the abrupt end ofSepp Maier's career - the Bayern icon who was critically injured in a car accident, Bayern had finally found a successor for the goalkeeper for the coming years.[12]
Although in his first season at the club, Bayern disappointed at all levels. In October, they were already knocked out in the second round of theGerman cup byEintracht Braunschweig, and they finished fourth in theBundesliga. In theEuropean Cup Winners' Cup, Scottish side (and eventual winners)Aberdeen proved too strong in the quarter-finals.[14] Due to his performances in the second half of the season, Pfaff was named aworld-class goalkeeper by the leading magazineKicker in July 1983.[15]
In the1983-84 season Bayern finished on a fourth place again. In thesecond round of theUEFA Cup, Bayern drew twice 0–0 againstPAOK. The penalty shootout ended when Pfaff savedKonstantinos Malioufas' attempt, and then scored Bayern's tenth penalty himself.[16] Nevertheless, the European adventure ended early when they were eliminated byTottenham Hotspur in the third round. On 31 May 1984 they did win theDFB Cup after a draw in thefinal againstBorussia Mönchengladbach. In the penalty shootout,Michael Rummenigge scored the decisive goal after Pfaff had savedNorbert Ringels' attempt.[17]
Pfaff became champion for the first time with Bayern Munich in the1984–85 season when they finished with a 4-point lead overWerder Bremen.[18] The team reached the semi-finals of theCup Winners' Cup after 2 great victories againstRoma, but they were eliminated by the EnglishEverton. At home, Bayern was stuck at 0–0, and in the return match atGoodison Park they lost 1–3. Thefinal of theDFB Pokal was reached again, but the match in theOlympiastadion in Berlin was surprisingly lost 1–2 againstBayer Uerdingen.[19]
In the first half of the1985–86 season, Pfaff was plagued by injuries, even lost his starting place at Bayern and had to fear that he would not be in the Belgian selection that was qualified forthe 1986 World Cup in Mexico. But with his iron will, he worked on his comeback and convinced all his premature critics. The competition was concluded with the same number of points as Werder Bremen (49), but with 1 more win Bayern became champions again. Acup win was also celebrated once more. The team proved to be too strong forVfB Stuttgart in thefinal and won easily with 5–2. Their story in theEuropean Cup had already ended in the quarter-finals in Brussels where they lost 2–0 toAnderlecht.[20] In theKicker rankings, Pfaff climbed once more frominternational class toworld class.[15]
The1986–87 Bundesliga was convincingly won by Bayern for the third time in a row, eventually ending with a 6 point lead overHamburger SV. Theircup story had already ended in November after a heavy 3–0 defeat atFortuna Düsseldorf. In theEuropean Cup, Bayern were now able to eliminateAnderlecht with two wins this time. In the return match at theBernabeu stadium,Real Madrid were also unable to make up for their heavy 1-4 defeat in the first leg.[21] The final was played on 27 May 1987 in thePraterstadion,Vienna. Bayern, missing several key players due to suspensions and injuries, lost toFC Porto.[22] For his performances with Bayern and with Belgium at theWorld Cup, Pfaff received the first trophy ofbest goalkeeper in the world in 1987 by theIFFHS.[23]
Bayern lost the title to Werder Bremen in the1987–88 season, finishing second. In both theGerman Cup and theEuropean Cup, they were eliminated in the quarter-finals (againstHamburger SV andReal Madrid respectively).[24]
At the age of 35, Pfaff decided to return to his home country and signed a contract withSK Lierse. The huge difference in level with a club like Bayern did not deter him.[25]
The club finished in mid-table in tenth place in the1988–89 season. After one season in Belgium, he accepted the request of his former coachUrbain Braems to join him atTrabzonspor in Turkey.[26]
Pfaff was welcomed as a true national hero at the Turkish club. The team ended on a third place in the1989–90 1.Lig and could qualify for theCup Winners' Cup after they lost the final of theTurkish Cup toBeşiktaş. The Turkish Cup final turned out to be the last professional game for Pfaff, as he decided to end his 18 year long-career as a goalkeeper in 1990.[27] Despite the increasing injury problems, he would later regret retiring at the age of 36.[28]
In 1976, the new Belgian coachGuy Thys decided to rejuvenate theRed Devils' selection for the1976 European Championship. Pfaff was called up and with him other young promises such asWilly Wellens,René Verheyen andMichel Renquin. And the debut of the Beveren goalkeeper was memorable. Pfaff made his debut in thequarter finals against theDutch team ofJohan Cruijff.[29] He did his best, intimidatedJohan Neeskens in front of the Italian refereeAlberto Michelotti, and made sure that he missed a penalty. The Red Devils took the lead thanks to a goal byRoger van Gool, but then the Netherlands equalized throughJohnny Rep and Belgium eventually lost 1–2 after a nice lob by Cruijff. Pfaff left the field smiling and as if nothing had happened to congratulate the opponent with number fourteen. “Nobody understood me, he explained later, but Cruijff had scored a beautiful goal and my sense of sportsmanship forced me to give him a compliment.”[30]
In the national team, Pfaff was a key player in the1980 European Championship in Italy. It was partly thanks to the saves of the goalkeeper that Belgium reached thefinal againstWest Germany, who was lost 2–1. But Belgium was one of the emerging national teams with Pfaff as the star player.[31]
The1982 World Cup in Spain was much anticipated. Belgium won the tournament'sopening game againstArgentina. Pfaff played at a high level, but his Spanish adventure was shorter than expected. In the third match againstHungary, he clashed withEric Gerets and both were knocked out and forced to return home. Without the two star players, Belgium was eliminated after the second group stage. "If Eric and I had not been injured, Belgium could have reached the final and... won. We would not have been afraid of anyone, not ofBrazil and not ofItaly.", Pfaff mentioned later.[32]
Pfaff also defended the Belgian goal at the1984 European Championship, a tournament in which the Red Devils did not get past the group stage and finished third in Group A behindFrance andDenmark. Two years later, Belgium qualified for theWorld Cup in Mexico. That World Cup was a highlight in the career of the Belgian goalkeeper, who became one of the great stars. Prior, Pfaff had suffered a serious injury and was competing withJacky Munaron of Anderlecht. “When you are a regular player at Bayern again.”, coach Thys promised him, ”you will go to Mexico.”
Belgium was the surprise of the World Cup. Pfaff, who was called 'El Simpatico' by the Mexican football fans, played at a high level with great saves (especially against theSoviet Union in the eighth final) and reached thesemi-finals with his team. Belgium lost toDiego Maradona'sArgentina, who ended the dream of the Red Devils with two goals.[33] "The mood of the group before the match was similar to what was in the dressing room before the final of the 1980 European Championship. In both cases we were convinced that we had no chance. We also had a lot of respect forGermany and Argentina. When I see Maradona dribbling past our entire defence, I think that if there had been a man likeLudo Coeck, Diego would never have been able to achieve such a feat."Belgium finished fourth, after losing the consolation final 4–2 toMichel Platini'sFrance. Upon returning home, the team was greeted by 10,000 fans who celebrated on theGrand Place in Brussels. Pfaff's adventure in the national team ended in 1987, when the goalkeeper was 33 years old. He played his last international match on 23 September 1987 againstBulgaria. He was then succeeded byMichel Preud'homme.[34]
Despite his sturdy physical build, Pfaff possessed quick reflexes and was known for his spectacular playing style, as well as his ability to produce acrobatic saves, which made him an effective shot-stopper. He was also known for his extroverted and outspoken character, his lively and eccentric personality, and his strong and charismatic leadership qualities, as well as his confidence, fair-play, and professionalism, which made him an excellent organiser of the defence and a popular figure among the fans; as such, due to his cheerful attitude on the pitch and humorous demeanor, he earned him the nicknameEl Simpático ("Mr. Nice Guy," in Spanish) during the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. He also excelled at quickly rushing off his line; moreover, although he was not the tallest goalkeeper, his large hands aided him when coming out to claim the ball, which made him an authoritative presence in goal. Furthermore, he was renowned for his penalty–stopping abilities. Despite his goalkeeping ability, however, and his reputation as one of the best goalkeepers in the world in his prime, and as one of Belgium's greatest goalkeepers ever[35] – with some in the sport even ranking him as one of the best goalkeepers of all time –, he was also known to be inconsistent and prone to occasional errors.[a]
To say goodbye to football, a farewell match was organized on theBeerschot field in 1991. The "Belgium of the eighties" squad faced a selection of world stars, includingFranz Beckenbauer,Ruud Krol,Michel Platini,Roger Milla,Alain Giresse andSøren Lerby. The match was broadcast live in 36 countries.[50]
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Pfaff had 2 short periods as a coach, first at KSV Sottegem in 1993,[51] a few years later atOostende (1998).[52]
Pfaff was named byPelé as one of thetop 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004. He was a representative of company United Sol Energy in 2005. The company became the sponsor of the former East German recordchampionBFC Dynamo before the 2005-06 season. Pfaff became a member of BFC Dynamo and promoted the establishment of a new youth sports school at the club.[53] The new youth sports school at BFC Dynamo was meant to bear his name.[54] Pfaff visited theSportforum Hohenschönhausen and participated in training with youth teams of BFC Dynamo.[55] However, the sponsorship never materialized. Pfaff resigned from the club on 11 August 2006 and terminated his membership.[56]
In 2023, a pop up museum around Pfaff opened in the former town hall of Beveren.[57] Throughout his career, Pfaff collected a large collection of jerseys, photos and other souvenirs.[58] After welcoming tens of thousands of visitors, the project was extended for a third time in early 2025.[59]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Beveren | 1971–72 | First Division | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | |||
| 1972–73 | Second Division | 27 | 0 | — | — | — | 27 | 0 | ||||
| 1973–74 | First Division | 32 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 34 | 0 | |||
| 1974–75 | 36 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 38 | 0 | ||||
| 1975–76 | 33 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 34 | 0 | ||||
| 1976–77 | 34 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 36 | 0 | ||||
| 1977–78 | 34 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 38 | 0 | ||||
| 1978–79 | 33 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 8[b] | 0 | 45 | 0 | |||
| 1979–80 | 22 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2[c] | 0 | 33 | 0 | ||
| 1980–81 | 25 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 30 | 0 | |||
| 1981–82 | 23 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 4[d] | 0 | 33 | 0 | |||
| Total | 303 | 0 | 33 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 352 | 0 | ||
| Bayern Munich | 1982–83 | Bundesliga | 27 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 4[e] | 0 | 33 | 0 | |
| 1983–84 | 32 | 0 | 8 | 0 | — | 4[d] | 0 | 44 | 0 | |||
| 1984–85 | 14 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 6[f] | 0 | 24 | 0 | |||
| 1985–86 | 24 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 5[c] | 0 | 34 | 0 | |||
| 1986–87 | 34 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 9[c] | 0 | 45 | 0 | |||
| 1987–88 | 25 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 5[c] | 0 | 35 | 0 | |||
| Total | 156 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 0 | 215 | 0 | ||
| Lierse | 1988–89 | First Division | 23 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | 25 | 0 | ||
| Total | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 25 | 0 | ||
| Trabzonspor | 1989–90 | Süper Lig | 25 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | 33 | 0 | |
| Total | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 25 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 507 | 0 | 63 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 53 | 0 | 625 | 0 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 1976 | 1 | 0 |
| 1977 | 4 | 0 | |
| 1978 | 5 | 0 | |
| 1979 | 3 | 0 | |
| 1980 | 8 | 0 | |
| 1981 | 4 | 0 | |
| 1982 | 9 | 0 | |
| 1983 | 4 | 0 | |
| 1984 | 8 | 0 | |
| 1985 | 4 | 0 | |
| 1986 | 10 | 0 | |
| 1987 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 64 | 0 | |
Beveren[68]
Bayern Munich[69]
Belgium
Individual
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