Goalkeeping Museum

Name: Bodo Illgner

Club Appearances: 417 (326 for 1.FC Koln; 91 for Real Madrid)

National Appearances: 54 (Germany)

Height: 6ft 1in - 187cm

Date of Birth: 07/04/1967, Koblenz, West Germany

Biography

Bodo Illgner was the vociferous shot-stopping goalkeeper who achieved great things for club and country, winning the FIFA World Cup (1990, Germany), the European Champions League twice (1998, 2000, Real Madrid), World Club Cup (1998, Real Madrid), as well as numerous Budesliga and German Cup Runners-Up medals.

Illgner’s finest moments were in the FIFA World Cup of 1990 when he helped his native Germany to collect their third World Cup, on the way breaking English hearts with a penalty save in the semi-final. In the final, Illgner would claim an unsurpassable record: by becoming the first man ever to keep a clean sheet in a World Cup final.

Illgner also kept a clean sheet in his first and only Champions League Final appearance versus Juventus in 1998, which Real Madrid won 1-0 (he was replaced by Iker Casillas in the final of 2000).

While Illgner was undoubtedly ably assisted by one of the most consistently excellent backlines in international football, he is widely regarded as one of the finest shot-stoppers of all time. Furthermore, the style of football played by Real Madrid make his Spanish League winning season of 1997 especially good: in 40 matches, Illgner conceded just 31 goals (that year Real also won the Spanish Cup).

For his efforts he was awarded Germany’s Goalkeeper of the Year a remarkable four times in a row (1989, 1990, 1991, 1992) and European Goalkeeper of the Year (1991).