Wolfgang Kleff facts for kids
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Wolfgang Kleff | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 16 November 1946 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 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) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Wolfgang Kleff, born on November 16, 1946, is a famous German former professional footballer. He was a talented goalkeeper who played for many years.
Contents
Wolfgang Kleff's Football Journey
Wolfgang Kleff was born in Schwerte, Germany. He started his professional football career in 1968. He joined Borussia Mönchengladbach from a smaller team called VfL Schwerte.
Playing for Borussia Mönchengladbach
At Borussia Mönchengladbach, Wolfgang became the main goalkeeper. He played for them until the late 1970s. From 1968 to 1976, he played in every single domestic game for the team. This shows how important he was!
During his time with Die Fohlen (the nickname for Borussia Mönchengladbach), Wolfgang helped his team win many big titles. They won the Bundesliga five times: in 1969–70, 1970–71, 1974–75, 1975–76, and 1976–77. He also helped them win the DFB-Pokal (German Cup) in 1972–73.
Wolfgang also won the UEFA Cup (now called the UEFA Europa League) twice with Mönchengladbach, in 1974–75 and 1978–79. He also played in two big finals that his team didn't win. These were the 1973 UEFA Cup Final and the 1976–77 European Cup Final.
Moving to Other Clubs
After his first long period with Mönchengladbach, Wolfgang played for Hertha BSC for one season. Then, he returned to Mönchengladbach for two more years. In 1982, he moved to a local rival team, Fortuna Düsseldorf, and played there for two years.
Later, he played for Rot-Weiß Oberhausen in the 2. Bundesliga. Even when he was almost 40 years old, he played one more year in Germany's top league with VfL Bochum.
Later Career and Retirement
At 40, Wolfgang played most of the games for FSV Salmrohr, a team that had just been promoted. That season, Salmrohr was quickly relegated, and Wolfgang decided to stop playing professionally. However, he continued to play as a goalkeeper for amateur teams like SV Straelen for some time.
By the end of his amazing career, Wolfgang Kleff had played in 433 matches in the Bundesliga. He also played in 56 games in the 2. Bundesliga.
Playing for His Country
Wolfgang Kleff also played for the West Germany national team. However, he didn't play as much as he might have because another great goalkeeper, Sepp Maier, was usually the main choice.
Wolfgang played six games for his country between 1971 and 1974. His first game was on June 22, 1971, when West Germany beat Norway 7–1. He was part of the team that won the 1972 UEFA European Championship in Brussels. He also helped West Germany win the 1974 FIFA World Cup!
Life After Football
Wolfgang Kleff looks a lot like a German actor and comedian named Otto Waalkes. Because of this, people often called him "Otto." He even had small roles in a couple of films. These included Otto – Der Film in 1985 and Werner – Beinhart! in 1990.
What He Won
Wolfgang Kleff won many important trophies during his career:
With Borussia Mönchengladbach
- Bundesliga: 1969–70, 1970–71, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77
- DFB-Pokal: 1972–73
- UEFA Cup: 1974–75, 1978–79
With Germany
- UEFA European Championship: 1972
- FIFA World Cup: 1974
See also
In Spanish: Wolfgang Kleff para niños
