Wolfgang Kleff

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Wolfgang Kleff
Personal information
Full name Wolfgang Kleff
Date of birth (1946-11-16) 16 November 1946 (age 77)
Place of birth Schwerte, Germany
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
VfL Schwerte
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1968–1979 Borussia Mönchengladbach 272 (0)
1979–1980 Hertha BSC 33 (0)
1980–1982 Borussia Mönchengladbach 49 (0)
1982–1984 Fortuna Düsseldorf 59 (0)
1984–1985 Rot-Weiß Oberhausen 31 (0)
1985–1986 VfL Bochum 20 (0)
1986–1987 FSV Salmrohr 25 (0)
1987–1992
SV Straelen
 58 (0)
1999–2000
KFC Uerdingen
 0 (0)
2007–2008 FC Rheinbach 1 (0)
Total 548 (0)
International career
1971–1973
West Germany
 6 (0)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  West Germany
FIFA World Cup
Winner 1974 West Germany
UEFA European Championship
Winner 1972 Belgium
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Wolfgang Kleff (born 16 November 1946) is a German former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.[1]

Club career

Kleff was born in

1973 UEFA Cup Final in and the 1976–77 European Cup. He was also part of the Mönchengladbach team which won the 1978–79 UEFA Cup
.

After a season at Hertha BSC, he returned to Mönchengladbach, Kleff played two more years in the Bundesliga for his old club, joining local rival Fortuna Düsseldorf for two years in 1982. After a fall-out with Düsseldorf he joined Rot-Weiß Oberhausen of the 2. Bundesliga and was on the verge of becoming 40 years of age when he enjoyed one more year in the best German division with VfL Bochum. At the age of forty Kleff played the majority of games for promoted FSV Salmrohr in the 1986–87 2. Bundesliga. The season ended in swift relegation for Salmrohr and in Kleff's decision to hang up his gloves. However, for some time he continued to be a goalkeeper for amateurs such as SV Straelen.

At the end of his illustrious career, Kleff had taken part in 433 matches in the Bundesliga and 56 games in the 2. Bundesliga.[2]

International career

Kleff's international career with the

West Germany national team was limited due to his competitor Sepp Maier occupying the role of West Germany's leading goalkeeper in that decade. Kleff won six caps for his country in between 1971 and 1974, the first of which took place in Oslo on 22 June 1971, a 7–1 defeat of Norway in a post-season friendly.[3] Kleff won the 1972 UEFA European Championship trophy in Brussels and the 1974 FIFA World Cup
.

Post-playing life

Kleff's resemblance to German actor and comedian Otto Waalkes earned him the nickname "Otto"[4] and minor roles in films such as Otto – Der Film (Otto – The Movie) in 1985 and Werner – Beinhart! in 1990.[5]

Honours

Borussia Mönchengladbach[6]

Germany[6]

References

  1. ^ "Kleff, Wolfgang" (in German). kicker.de. Retrieved 4 March 2012.
  2. ^ Arnhold, Matthias (23 September 2015). "Wolfgang Kleff - Matches and Goals in Bundesliga". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
  3. ^ Arnhold, Matthias (23 September 2015). "Wolfgang Kleff - International Appearances". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
  4. ^ Raack, Alex (16 November 2021). "So ein Otto". 11Freunde (in German). Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  5. ^ Kellermann, Karsten (15 November 2016). "Borussia Mönchengladbach: Otto Kleff — Der Mann hinter der Torfabrik wird 70". Rheinische Post (in German). Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Wolfgang Kleff" (in German). fussballdaten.de. Retrieved 16 November 2014.

External links

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