Sepp Maier

German association football player and coach, goalkeeper (born 1944)

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Born 1944 · age 82Germany

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Wikipedia
50 languages
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Age
82
Born 1944
Known for
Libero
1973

Summary

Updated 2026-08-26

West Germany's goalkeeper through three World Cups and four European Championships, a man whose reflexes earned him the nickname "the cat from Anzing" and whose 442 consecutive Bundesliga appearances formed the spine of Bayern Munich's rise in the 1970s.

Biography

About

Born 28 February 1944, Josef Dieter Maier grew up to become Bayern Munich's first-choice keeper for seventeen seasons, playing 709 matches — a club record that stood until Thomas Müller overtook it in 2024. His shot-stopping, his command of the box, and his flexibility made him the anchor of West Germany's defence across multiple tournaments. He was known as much for his consistency as for his dry wit; asked about his approach, he once said a keeper should give off calm "and not fall asleep while doing so." That mix of reflex and composure made him a fan favourite long after he left the pitch.

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