Wolfgang Kleff facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Wolfgang Kleff

Personal information
Full name	Wolfgang Kleff
Date of birth	(1946-11-16) 16 November 1946 (age 78)
Place of birth	Schwerte, Germany
Height	1.80 m
Playing position	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)
National team
1971–1973	West Germany	6	(0)
Honours Men's football Representing  West Germany FIFA World Cup Winner 1974 West Germany UEFA European Championship Winner 1972 Belgium
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Wolfgang Kleff (born November 16, 1946) is a famous German former professional footballer. He was a talented goalkeeper. Many people knew him by his nickname, "Otto."

Wolfgang Kleff's Football Journey

Wolfgang Kleff was born in Schwerte, a town in Germany. He started his football career at a local amateur club. Later, he became one of the most well-known goalkeepers in German football.

Playing for Clubs

Wolfgang Kleff joined Borussia Mönchengladbach in 1968. He quickly became their main goalkeeper. For many years, he was a key player for the team.

Borussia Mönchengladbach Years

From 1968 to 1976, Wolfgang Kleff played in every domestic game for Borussia Mönchengladbach. This shows how reliable he was. During this time, his team won many important titles. They lifted the Bundesliga trophy five times. They also won the DFB-Pokal (German Cup) once. In European competitions, they won the UEFA Cup twice. He also played in two major finals that Borussia Mönchengladbach lost. These were the 1973 UEFA Cup Final and the 1977 European Cup Final.

Other Teams and Later Career

After his first long period at Borussia Mönchengladbach, Wolfgang Kleff played for Hertha BSC for one season. He then returned to Borussia Mönchengladbach for two more years. Later, he moved to Fortuna Düsseldorf for two seasons. He also played for Rot-Weiß Oberhausen and VfL Bochum.

Wolfgang Kleff continued playing even when he was nearly 40 years old. He played for FSV Salmrohr in the second division. After that, he decided to stop playing professionally. However, he still played for amateur teams like SV Straelen for some time. In total, he played in 433 matches in the Bundesliga. He also played in 56 games in the 2. Bundesliga.

Playing for Germany

Wolfgang Kleff also played for the West Germany national team. He earned six caps for his country. His first international game was in 1971 against Norway. He was part of the team that won two huge international tournaments. West Germany won the UEFA European Championship in 1972. They also won the 1974 FIFA World Cup in 1974. However, his chances to play more for Germany were limited. This was because another great goalkeeper, Sepp Maier, was usually the first choice.

Life After Football

Wolfgang Kleff had a fun nickname, "Otto." He got this nickname because he looked a lot like a famous German actor and comedian, Otto Waalkes. Because of this resemblance, Wolfgang Kleff even had small roles in a few movies. He appeared in Otto – Der Film in 1985. He also acted in Werner – Beinhart! in 1990.

Awards and Trophies

Borussia Mönchengladbach

• Bundesliga: 1969–70, 1970–71, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77
• DFB-Pokal: 1972–73
• UEFA Cup: 1974–75, 1978–79

Germany

• UEFA European Championship: 1972
• FIFA World Cup: 1974

See also

In Spanish: Wolfgang Kleff para niños