In Karlheinz Förster, the Wasenelf had one of the best defenders in the world during the 1980’s within their ranks. On Wednesday, the former VfB captain (from 1983 to 1986) celebrates his 60th birthday. Between 1975 and 1986, the younger of the two Förster brothers wore the shirt with the infamous hoop. Over his eleven years with the club, Förster made 365 appearances, scoring 28 goals. In the Bundesliga, Karlheinz Förster made 272 appearances (17 goals).
The 1982 German Footballer of the Year celebrated his absolute highlight with the club in winning the German championship in 1984. The central defender ended his professional career in 1990 with Olympique Marseille, where he bid his farewell to the game with back-to-back French championship wins and a domestic cup victory.
For the German national team, Karlheinz Förster was capped on 81 occasions, winning the European Championships in 1980 and twice finishing runner-up in the 1982 and 1986 World Cups.