Dieter Burdenski

Early career

Starting at STV Horst-Emscher, Burdenski joined Schalke 04 as a teenager to debut for the Gelsenkirchen outfit in three separate Bundesliga matches in the 1970–1971 season. One of those three, the 1–0 home defeat against Arminia Bielefeld on 17 April 1971, became later under scrutiny through the German Football Association in the match fixing Bundesligaskandal. Although Burdenski conceded the goal Bielefeld had paid Schalke 04 players for, Burdenski was able to satisfy court and the German Football Association that he was not deliberately involved in the fixing of matches. However the scandal had effects on his career. Seeking match practice, he joined scandal-shaken Arminia Bielefeld in 1971, serving as their first choice in goal until Arminia Bielefeld was punished for the clubs involvement in the scandal with relegation from the Bundesliga.

Werder Bremen

Burdenski moved on, signing for Werder Bremen with the trouble to wait one more season behind their first-choice Günter Bernard for his practice. From 1973 he succeeded Bernard, staying the regular in the goal of the North German outfit until Otto Rehhagel preferred young Oliver Reck over the then veteran shot-stopper ahead of the Bundesliga title winning campaign of Werder Bremen in 1987–88. Making three final appearances for Werder in that season, Burdenski retired from the game in 1988 after 478 Bundesliga matches. His statistics, that also read 35 matches in the 2. Bundesliga Nord…

Looking for decent goalkeepers to someday succeed ageing Sepp Maier in the West Germany goal, Helmut Schön turned his attention to the Werder Bremen man in 1977, handing Burdenski his first of altogether 12 caps in a friendly in Montevideo against Uruguay. He was taken with the squad to Argentina to be a benchwarmer at the 1978 FIFA World Cup, playing three times in the 1980 UEFA European Championship qualifiers (but missing out on making the 1980 UEFA European Championship squad of the West Germans), and was doing the same job on the substitution bench at the 1984 UEFA European Championship. Before that tournament he enjoyed his final appearance for his country, coming on at half-time in a friendly against Italy in Zürich on 22 May 1984.

At the height of 1.81 m, as goalkeeper, Burdenski was an athletic and has stopped lots of shots due to his reaction speed and athleticism. He was also known for his leadership qualities, he was captain of Werder Bremen many times during his long career.

In 1997, Burdenski was re-signed by Werder Bremen for their coaching staff, working with the goalkeepers of the club until December 2005.