Hans-Jörg Butt was one of the most unusual and accomplished goalkeepers in German football. Although he spent most of his career at top Bundesliga clubs, he also had a brief spell in Portugal, playing for Benfica in the 2007/08 season. Getting the 1xBet Android app is incredibly easy, and with it, you can also start betting on everything that other great goalkeepers do.
Born in Oldenburg in 1974, he began his professional career with VfB Oldenburg, where he established himself in the early 1990s before earning a move to the Bundesliga. His professional career lasted from 1993 until 2012 and included spells with several of Germany’s biggest clubs.
Butt joined Hamburger SV in 1997 and quickly became an important first-team goalkeeper. This is another team whose all matches are featured at the Android app of 1xBet, which punters can get for absolutely free.
During 4 seasons in Hamburg, he made 133 Bundesliga appearances and became famous for his ability to score goals from the penalty spot. In 2001, he moved to Bayer Leverkusen, where he spent six seasons. The club reached the Champions League final in 2002, losing 2-1 to Real Madrid, while Butt played a significant role throughout Leverkusen’s European campaigns. In total, he made 191 Bundesliga appearances for the club.
Life after Leverkusen
After leaving Leverkusen in 2007, Butt spent the 2007-08 season at Benfica in Portugal. His time there was brief, and he returned to Germany in 2008 to join Bayern Munich. Initially a backup, he eventually became Bayern’s first-choice goalkeeper during the 2009-10 season. That campaign was the high point of his club career: Bayern won both the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal, with Butt making 31 league appearances. He also played in the Champions League as Bayern reached the final, where they lost 2-0 to Inter Milan.
Butt’s greatest statistical distinction was his goalscoring. He scored 26 Bundesliga goals, all from penalties, making him the most prolific goalscoring goalkeeper in Bundesliga history. Across his Bundesliga career, he played 387 matches for 3 teams:
- Hamburg;
- Leverkusen;
- and Bayern.
Internationally, Butt earned four senior caps for Germany. He was part of the squad that finished as runners-up at the 2002 World Cup, although he did not play. Eight years later, at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, he made his only World Cup appearance, starting Germany’s third-place match against Uruguay. Germany won 3-2, giving Butt a memorable conclusion to his international career.
Butt retired from professional football in 2012. His career remains notable not only for longevity and success, but also for the rare combination of goalkeeping and penalty-taking ability that made him one of football’s most prolific scoring goalkeepers.
