Jean-Marie Pfaff

Beveren

At the end of the 1971–72 season, aged 18, Pfaff made his debut for the first team of Beveren in the Belgian First Division. By then, it was already certain that the club would be relegated to the second division. The following season, Pfaff became a regular goalkeeper. Beveren also became champions, which meant the team was immediately promoted back to the first division. At the end of the second half of the 1973–74 season, Pfaff was moved to the bench by coach Jef Jurion, but under Urbain Braems he became the first goalkeeper in the 1974–75 season. During the 1977–78 season, Pfaff reached the Belgian top with SK Beveren. The team then just missed out on the European places in the competition (5th place), but it did manage to reach the Belgian Cup final for the first time. With a 2–0 victory against Charleroi after a few decisive saves by Pfaff, the team also grabbed the cup. This allowed them to compete in Europe the following season. In 1978, Jean-Marie Pfaff won the Belgian Golden Shoe, a trophy that is rarely awarded to goalkeepers. Beveren would reach its peak in the 1978–79 season. The club became national champion for the first time in its existence, with Pfaff not conceding a goal in half of the matches (17). In the European Cup Winners' Cup, Beveren surprisingly eliminated Inter Milan in the quarter-finals after strong performances by Pfaff. In the semi-finals they were eliminated by Barcelona after two 1–0 defeats. These were Pfaff's first goals…

In 1976, the new Belgian coach Guy Thys decided to rejuvenate the Red Devils' selection for the 1976 European Championship. Pfaff was called up and with him other young promises such as Willy Wellens, René Verheyen and Michel Renquin. And the debut of the Beveren goalkeeper was memorable. Pfaff made his debut in the quarter finals against the Dutch team of Johan Cruijff. He did his best, intimidated Johan Neeskens in front of the Italian referee Alberto Michelotti, and made sure that he missed a penalty. The Red Devils took the lead thanks to a goal by Roger van Gool, but then the Netherlands equalized through Johnny Rep and Belgium eventually lost 1–2 after a nice lob by Cruijff. Pfaff left the field smiling and as if nothing had happened to congratulate the opponent with number fourteen. “Nobody understood me, he explained later, but Cruijff had scored a beautiful goal and my sense of sportsmanship forced me to give him a compliment.”

In the national team, Pfaff was a key player in the 1980 European Championship in Italy. It was partly thanks to the saves of the goalkeeper that Belgium reached the final against West Germany, who was lost 2–1. But Belgium was one of the emerging national teams with Pfaff as the star player.

The 1982 World Cup in Spain was much anticipated. Belgium won the tournament's opening game against Argentina. Pfaff played at a high level, but his Spanish adventure was shorter than expected. In the third match against Hungary, he clashed with Eric…

Despite his sturdy physical build, Pfaff possessed quick reflexes and was known for his spectacular playing style, as well as his ability to produce acrobatic saves, which made him an effective shot-stopper. He was also known for his extroverted and outspoken character, his lively and eccentric personality, and his strong and charismatic leadership qualities, as well as his confidence, fair-play, and professionalism, which made him an excellent organiser of the defence and a popular figure among the fans; as such, due to his cheerful attitude on the pitch and humorous demeanor, he earned him the nickname El Simpático ("Mr. Nice Guy," in Spanish) during the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. He also excelled at quickly rushing off his line; moreover, although he was not the tallest goalkeeper, his large hands aided him when coming out to claim the ball, which made him an authoritative presence in goal. Furthermore, he was renowned for his penalty–stopping abilities. Despite his goalkeeping ability, however, and his reputation as one of the best goalkeepers in the world in his prime, and as one of Belgium's greatest goalkeepers ever – with some in the sport even ranking him as one of the best goalkeepers of all time –, he was also known to be inconsistent and prone to occasional errors.

Pfaff was born in Lebbeke, East Flanders. He grew up in a family of 12 children (6 boys, 6 girls). His father was a door-to-door salesman of fabrics and carpets. The Pfaff family lived in a caravan in Lebbeke and in the summer, the whole family was obliged to help their father with sales. As a street footballer, his goalkeeping skills were quickly noticed. Pfaff joined the youth team of Eendracht Aalst, the club of his brothers Louis and Jean-Baptist Pfaff. When Louis and Jean-Baptist arranged a transfer to KSK Beveren in 1965, the younger brothers Jean-Marie and Toon also made the switch to the Waasland club. When Jean-Marie Pfaff was barely 12, his father died of cancer. Obviously, this had enormous consequences for the family.