Rudolf Kargus

Born in Worms, West Germany, Kargus began playing football with boyhood club Wormatia Worms. Having joined the youth ranks of Hamburger SV in 1970, Kargus stepped up to become a Bundesliga goalkeeper for the North Germans from 1971, capturing the starting role in the goal of Hamburg in 1973. He served as the club's first-choice until Hamburg headed for a change on that position in 1980. In his years with Hamburg he graduated into a goalkeeper as promising as reliable, known for his ability to save penalties (which earned him the Elfmetertöter nickname). He won the European Cup Winners' Cup with Hamburger SV in 1977, was runner-up with them in the European Cup in 1980 after winning the Bundesliga title the season before. After the end of his deal with Hamburg in 1980 it took him four months to sign a new deal elsewhere, joining 1. FC Nürnberg. He was in the 1. FC Nürnberg team when Nuremberg was relegated to the 2. Bundesliga in 1984, going on for them in the lower division until Bundesliga side Karlsruher SC snapped him up in December 1984. He had tough luck in this change of clubs since Karlsruher SC could not avoid relegation to the 2. Bundesliga in the remainder of the season and, so, he had to return to playing games on that level in 1985–86. For the campaign of 1986–87 he returned to the Bundesliga with a move to Fortuna Düsseldorf, but experienced another relegation from Bundesliga with them then. Following Düsseldorf's relegation the then well-travelled goalkeeper…

Hamburger SV

Bundesliga: 1978–79 DFB-Pokal: 1975–76; runner-up: 1973–74, 1981–82 European Cup Winners' Cup: 1976–77 European Cup runner-up: 1979–80 West Germany

European Championship runner-up: 1976