Bodo Illgner
Birth date7 April 1967 (age 59)
Birth placeKoblenz, West Germany
Height1.91 m
PositionGoalkeeper
Youthyears 11973–1983
Youthclubs 11. FC Hardtberg
Youthyears 21983–1986
Youthclubs 21. FC Köln
Years 11986–1996
Clubs 11. FC Köln
Caps 1326
Goals 10
Years 21996–2001
Clubs 2Real Madrid
Caps 291
Goals 20
Totalcaps417
Totalgoals0
Nationalyears 11985–1987
Nationalteam 1West Germany U21
Nationalcaps 17
Nationalgoals 10
Nationalyears 21987–1994
Nationalteam 2Germany
Nationalcaps 254
Nationalgoals 20

Bodo Illgner (ˈboːdoː ˈʔɪlɡnɐ; born 7 April 1967) is a German former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. During his career he played for 1. FC Köln and Real Madrid, and helped West Germany to the 1990 World Cup, where he became the first goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet in a World Cup final.

Club career

Born in Koblenz, Illgner was a product of 1. FC Köln's youth system, and made his debut in the Bundesliga on 22 February 1986 at not yet 19, in a 3–1 away loss against Bayern Munich. From the 1987–88 season onwards, he became the club's undisputed starter – as successor of Harald Schumacher in both 1. FC Köln and the Germany national team – being voted as Best European Goalkeeper in 1991.[1]

On 30 August 1996, already having started the campaign with Köln, Illgner was signed by Real Madrid, and played 40 La Liga matches in his first year to help the capital side to the national championship conquest. In the following he lost his place to Santiago Cañizares,[2] but regained it in time to play in the final of the UEFA Champions League against Juventus FC (1–0 win).[3]

In 1999–2000, Illgner was succeeded by 18-year-old Iker Casillas, after which he retired from football altogether.[4]

In April 2013, he was named by Marca as a member of the "Best foreign eleven in Real Madrid's history".[5]

International career

On 23 September 1987, Illgner made his debut for the West Germany national team in a 1–0 friendly home win against Denmark, and went on to back Eike Immel during UEFA Euro 1988. At the 1990 FIFA World Cup he, by now the country's first-choice, was in exceptional form, and commanded the backline which consisted of the experienced Klaus Augenthaler, Andreas Brehme, Thomas Berthold, Guido Buchwald and Jürgen Kohler (with Matthias Sammer taking Augenthaler's place at Euro 1992); in the semi-final, he saved a Stuart Pearce shot in the penalty shootout against England, and his team would overcome Argentina in the deciding match, where he would keep a clean sheet in the 1–0 success.[6]

Overall, Illgner appeared 54 times for his country, and also played at the 1994 World Cup, surprisingly retiring after the quarter-final loss against Bulgaria although he was only 27.[7]

Post-playing career

Illgner later went on to work as a pundit for Sky Deutschland and English language broadcasts of beIN Sports.[5]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[8][9]
ClubSeasonLeagueCupContinentalOtherTotal
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
1. FC Köln1985–862000000020
1986–87160000000160
1987–88340200000360
1988–89330206000410
1989–903403010000470
1990–91340706000470
1991–92370200000390
1992–93310202000350
1993–94330200000350
1994–95340500000390
1995–96340101000360
1996–974010000050
Total3260270250003780
Real Madrid1996–97400600000460
1997–98120205000190
1998–99340308020470
1999–005010100070
2000–010000000000
Total910120140201190
Career total4170390390204970

Honours

Real Madrid

Germany

Individual

References

  1. ^ Arnhold, Matthias (23 September 2015). "Bodo Illgner – Matches and Goals in Bundesliga". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
  2. ^ "Se agranda la portería del Real Madrid" [Real Madrid goal gets larger] (in Spanish). El Mundo. 31 January 1998. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  3. ^ "1997/98: Seventh heaven for Madrid". UEFA. 20 May 1998. Archived from the original on 16 October 2015. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  4. ^ "Bodo Illgner se retira del fútbol" [Bodo Illgner retires from football] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 8 August 2001. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  5. ^ "The best foreign eleven in Real Madrid's history". Marca. 12 April 2013. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  6. ^ Burt, Mathew (17 February 2009). "Where are they now? Germany's 1990 World Cup winners". Goal. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  7. ^ Arnhold, Matthias (23 September 2015). "Bodo Illgner – International Appearances". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
  8. ^ "Bodo Illgner". Worldfootball. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
  9. ^ "Bodo ILLGNER" (in Spanish). El Aguanis. Archived from the original on 11 November 2016. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  10. ^ "Bundesliga Historie 1993/94" [Bundesliga History 1993/94] (in German). kicker. Retrieved 11 December 2018.