Wikipedia

Sepp Maier

For the German Olympic skier, see Sepp Maier (skier).

Josef Dieter "Sepp" Maier (German pronunciation: [ˈjoːzɛf ˈdiːtɐ zɛp ˈmaɪɐ]; born 28 February 1944) is a German former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper for Bayern Munich and the West Germany national team.[1] Regarded as one of football's greatest goalkeepers, he was nicknamed "Die Katze von Anzing" ("the cat from Anzing") for his fast reflexes, agility, flexibility, speed, and consistency. With 709 matches played across seventeen seasons, he was Bayern's all-time record appearance holder,[2] until he was surpassed by Thomas Müller in 2024.

Sepp Maier
Maier in 2012
Personal information
Full name Josef Dieter Maier
Date of birth (1944-02-28) 28 February 1944 (age 80)
Place of birth Metten, Nazi Germany
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
1952–1959 TSV Haar
1959–1962 Bayern Munich
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1962–1980 Bayern Munich 537 (0)
International career
1961–1962 West Germany Youth 11 (0)
1963 West Germany Amateur 4 (0)
1966–1979 West Germany 95 (0)
Managerial career
1988–2004 Germany (goalkeeping coach)
1994–2008 Bayern Munich (goalkeeping coach)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  West Germany
FIFA World Cup
Runner-up 1966 England
Third place 1970 Mexico
Winner 1974 West Germany
UEFA European Championship
Winner 1972 Belgium
Runner-up 1976 Yugoslavia
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

In addition to his shot-stopping ability, Maier was also known for his ability to dominate his box, as well as his sense of humour and personality throughout his career, which made him a fan favourite. Regarding his playing style, he once quipped "a keeper should give off a sense of calm, and not fall asleep while doing so."[3][4][5][6]

Club career

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Maier (left) with Gerd Müller in 1978

Born in Metten, Bavaria, Maier spent his entire professional career at Bayern Munich. He began playing for Bayern's youth sides in 1958.[7] During the 1970s, he was part of the legendary Bayern team which included the likes of Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller which won four West German league titles, three German cups, and three consecutive European Cups (1974 defeating Atlético Madrid, 1975 defeating Leeds United, 1976 defeating AS Saint-Étienne). He had previously tasted success in Europe in 1967 when Bayern won the European Cup Winners Cup, defeating Rangers F.C. in the final in extra time. In the five games of the four European finals, the 1974 title having been won in a replay, Maier allowed a total of one goal.

Maier was elected German Footballer of the Year in 1975, 1977, and 1978. Between 1966 and 1979 he played in 442 consecutive Bundesliga matches, still a German national record.[8][9]

On 14 July 1979, Maier suffered serious injuries in a self-inflicted traffic accident. While aquaplaning, he veered out of his lane and collided with an oncoming car, resulting in minor injuries to two women. Initially admitted to the district hospital over the weekend, medical staff there failed to recognize the extent of his injuries, diagnosing only a few rib fractures. However, through his friend Uli Hoeneß, newly appointed as Bayern manager, Maier was connected with the Bayern club doctor. Upon the doctor's recommendation, Maier was transferred to Großhadern hospital, where X-rays revealed a ruptured lung, a displaced liver, a torn diaphragm, and a collection of two and a half liters of blood in his abdominal cavity. An emergency surgery at Großhadern saved Maier's life. He started training again on 26 November 1979, but then had to end his career, having missed the entire 1979–80 season.[10][11]

International career

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Maier holding the 1974 FIFA World Cup trophy

Maier was selected in the West Germany squad for four consecutive World Cups. In 1966 in England, he was a non-playing deputy to Hans Tilkowski. At the 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, he was the starter and played all games (including the 4–3 semifinal loss to Italy after extra time) except the third-place match.[12]

In the 1974 FIFA World Cup on home soil, at the top of his footballing abilities, he reached the peak of his international career as the Germans went all the way to the final with a legendary team that included the likes of Franz Beckenbauer, Berti Vogts, Gerd Müller and Paul Breitner. The greatest triumph came when the hosts defeated a Johan Cruyff-led Netherlands team 2–1 in the final in Maier's own hometown Munich.

Four years later at the World Cup in Argentina, slightly past his peak but still formidable, Maier delivered a strong performance but could not prevent his side's failing to advance past the second round. Maier also won the 1972 European Championship with West Germany and reached the final in 1976, losing to Czechoslovakia on penalty kicks. On this occasion he was on the receiving end of the original Panenka penalty. In all, he earned 95 caps for his country.

Post-playing career

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Maier went into coaching for both club and country and mentored Oliver Kahn. In October 2004 his contract with the national side was terminated by manager Jürgen Klinsmann after Maier spoke out in favour of Kahn over Arsenal's Jens Lehmann in a dispute over who should be the side's first-choice goalkeeper.[13] He continued to work as head goalkeeping coach for Bayern and retired in 2008.[14]

Personal life

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Besides his goalkeeping exploits, Maier was famous for his overlong shorts and being the first goalkeeper to wear the now-standard, outsize, "Mickey Mouse" gloves,[15] as well as his sense of humour. He is remembered for an incident where he became bored during a match at the Olympiastadion as the opposing side had yet to threaten his goal. A duck wandered onto the pitch and Maier attempted to catch it.[16]

In June 2009, Maier was honoured by the Bavarian government with the Life Achievement Award.[17]

Career statistics

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Club

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Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League DFB-Pokal Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Bayern Munich 1962–63 Oberliga Süd 4 0 — 1[a] 0 — 5 0
1963–64 Regionalliga Süd 24 0 — 7[b] 0 6[c] 0 37 0
1964–65 36 0 — — 8[d] 0 44 0
1965–66 Bundesliga 31 0 6 0 — — 37 0
1966–67 34 0 5 0 9[e] 0 — 48 0
1967–68 34 0 4 0 8[e] 0 — 46 0
1968–69 34 0 6 0 — — 40 0
1969–70 34 0 3 0 2[f] 0 — 39 0
1970–71 34 0 7 0 8[a] 0 — 49 0
1971–72 34 0 5 0 8[e] 0 — 47 0
1972–73 34 0 5 0 5[f] 0 3[g] 0 47 0
1973–74 34 0 4 0 10[f] 0 — 48 0
1974–75 34 0 3 0 7[f] 0 — 44 0
1975–76 34 0 7 0 9[f] 0 2[h] 0 52 0
1976–77 34 0 4 0 6[f] 0 4[i] 0 48 0
1977–78 34 0 3 0 6[j] 0 — 43 0
1978–79 34 0 1 0 — — 35 0
1979–80 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 0
Career total 537 0 63 0 86 0 23 0 709 0
  1. ^ a b Appearance(s) in Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
  2. ^ Appearances in Intertoto Cup
  3. ^ Appearances in Regionalliga promotion play-offs
  4. ^ Six appearances in Regionalliga promotion play-offs, two appearances in Süddeutscher Pokal
  5. ^ a b c Appearances in European Cup Winners' Cup
  6. ^ a b c d e f Appearances in European Cup
  7. ^ Appearances in DFB-Ligapokal
  8. ^ Appearances in European Super Cup
  9. ^ Two appearances in European Super Cup, two appearances in Intercontinental Cup
  10. ^ Appearances in UEFA Cup

International

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Appearances and goals by national team and year[18]
National team Year Apps Goals
West Germany 1966 3 0
1967 4 0
1968 5 0
1969 6 0
1970 9 0
1971 8 0
1972 7 0
1973 5 0
1974 12 0
1975 6 0
1976 6 0
1977 8 0
1978 12 0
1979 4 0
Total 95 0

Honours

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sepp Maier.

Bayern Munich[19]

West Germany[19]

Individual

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Sepp Maier" (in German). fussballdaten.de. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
  2. ^ "Sonderausstellung zum 80. Geburtstag" (in German). FC Bayern Munich. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  3. ^ "I PIU' GRANDI NUMERI UNO" [The Greatest Number Ones] (in Italian). Storie di Calcio. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
  4. ^ Guillem Balagué (5 February 2010). "Casillas names his top ten No1s". UEFA. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  5. ^ "The Cat from Anzing". Bundesliga. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
  6. ^ "Saving grace: Europe's favourite goalkeepers". UEFA. 30 January 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  7. ^ "Sepp Maier". FC Bayern Munich. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  8. ^ ""Entmüdungsbecken? Wir waren nie müde!"". Spiegel Online (in German). 23 August 2012. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  9. ^ "Sepp Maier: The great Bayern Munich and Germany goalkeeper known as the 'Cat from Anzing'". Bundesliga. 28 February 2024.
  10. ^ "Torwartlegende Sepp Maier und sein abrupter Abschied" (in German). Kicker. 17 April 2020.
  11. ^ "Sepp Maier überlebte nur dank Hoeneß" (in German). welt.de. 28 February 2019.
  12. ^ Sepp Maier – FIFA competition record (archived)
  13. ^ Selldorf, Philipp (7 October 2004). "Letzte Warnung für Sepp Maier" (in German). Süddeutsche Zeitung. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  14. ^ "Bayern board honours Hitzfeld, Kahn and co". fcbayern.de. 17 May 2008. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  15. ^ "Wie Gebhard Reusch und Sepp Maier das Handwerkszeug der Nummer 1 erschufen" (in German). schwitzkasten.tagblatt.de. 1 February 2013. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
  16. ^ "Bring in the clowns". FIFA.com. 29 January 2010. Archived from the original on 19 April 2012. Retrieved 10 September 2013.
  17. ^ "Höchstleistung auf dem Rasen" (in German). Süddeutsche Zeitung. 29 June 2009. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  18. ^ "Sepp Maier". EU-Football.info. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  19. ^ a b c d e "Germany's champion and comical keeper". FIFA. Archived from the original on 3 October 2015. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  20. ^ "FIFA World Cup All-Star Team – Football world Cup All Star Team". Football.sporting99.com. Archived from the original on 30 June 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2012.
  21. ^ "Bundesliga Historie 1974/75" (in German). kicker.
  22. ^ "World Soccer Players of the Century". World Soccer. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  23. ^ "Award to Sepp Maier at San Mamés". Athletic Bilbao. 14 April 2017. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  24. ^ "Fans name greatest reds of all time". FC Bayern München. 1 June 2005. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
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