Lutz Pfannenstiel is a German former professional football goalkeeper and current football board member. He is the first football player in the world to belong to a professional football club in each of the six recognised continental associations. From 2010 to 2018, he was an expert on various television channels – including ZDF, BBC, CNN, ORF, SRF, DAZN and Eurosport. Pfannenstiel has been on the board of Fortuna Düsseldorf since 16 December 2018.
Pfannenstiel is mostly famous for having played for 27 different clubs all around the world during his career, including stints in Germany, England, New Zealand, Singapore, United States, Brazil, South Africa, Finland, Malaysia, Belgium, Canada, Namibia, Norway, Armenia and Albania. Pfannenstiel showed immense promise as a youngster and represented Germany's under-17s. By the time he was 19, Bayern Munich had come knocking, but Pfannenstiel turned them down, knowing he would never be their No. 1 keeper, choosing instead to play for smaller clubs. After signing for Hermann Aichinger in Brazil, he became the first professional to have played in all six FIFA confederations. Pfannenstiel was a playing coach at Norwegian side Manglerud Star, making his debut in the 2–1 away win against Asker on 13 April 2009. In 2009 he joined Namibian club Ramblers.
Pfannenstiel began his coaching career in April 2008 when he became the Goalkeeper Coach for Reinhold Fanz coaching the Cuba national football team and signed in January 2009 a contract for Manglerud Star who was named as player-goalkeeper coach. In September 2009 Pfannenstiel left Norway and Europe to sign for Namibian club Ramblers who signed a contract as Player-Coach and Sport director besides working as goalkeeping coach of the Namibia national football team. Since February 2011, he has been working as a scout for the Bundesliga club TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, while also serving as the club's head of international relations.
Post-retirement
Pfannenstiel is best remembered as the first, and so far only, football player to have played professionally in all six FIFA confederations. Since his retirement from active footballing he has worked as a scout for German side TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, whilst also pursuing television and writing. He wrote his biography Unhaltbar – Meine Abenteuer als Welttorhüter; the book was released on 1 October 2009. and the UK bestseller The unstoppable keeper released in August 2014. During the 2010 and 2014 FIFAWorld Cups, Pfannenstiel worked as a pundit for the German television station ZDF, alongside fellow goalkeeperOliver Kahn. He works as an expert for BBC World and CNN as well as Eurosport. He also works as a coaching instructor for FIFA and the German Football association to educate coaches all over the world.
Legal and health issues
While playing football in Singapore, Pfannenstiel was accused of match-fixing and jailed for 101 days. However, he was released due to a lack of evidence, and later cleared of the charges. Pfannenstiel stopped breathing three times after a collision with Clayton Donaldson while playing for Bradford Park Avenue against Harrogate Town in a Northern Premier League match on 26 December 2002. The injury was so serious that the referee, Jon Moss, abandoned the match. Bradford Park Avenue were leading 2–1 at the time of the incident.
