Borussia Dortmund mourns goalkeeper icon Wolfgang “Teddy” de Beer. He passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on December 30 at the age of just 60.
“The Borussia family is shocked and deeply saddened,” wrote BVB on its club website this Wednesday. The reason is the sudden and unexpected death of Wolfgang “Teddy” de Beer. The Westphalian goalkeeper icon passed away on December 30, 2024 at the age of just 60.
BVB, which is “stunned” by de Beer’s death, describes the former keeper as “one of its figureheads of the past decades”. De Beer celebrated nine major titles with “his” BVB – as first or second choice goalkeeper and as goalkeeping coach.
De Beer played a major role in the 1989 DFB Cup victory, a supporting role in the 1995 (without playing) and 1996 (one appearance) German championships, and a supporting role in the 1997 Champions League victory (without playing) and the Intercontinental Cup victory in the same year (without playing).
“’Teddy’ was one of the good guys. On the pitch, but especially off it. A man you could relate to. Deeply grounded. With his pulse, his heart and his full attention always close to the people, a good, positive listener. Someone you always wanted around,” writes BVB on its website.
From Lehmann to Bürki
After his playing career, de Beer earned his A license to make a name for himself as a goalkeeping coach at BVB. From the 2002/03 season until the end of the 2017/18 season, he was responsible for Borussia’s professional goalkeepers – including Jens Lehmann, Roman Weidenfeller, Mitch Langerak and Roman Bürki. He helped shape the glory years under Jürgen Klopp.
After his farewell – as part of Weidenfeller’s farewell game – de Beer moved into fan support. “Always in close contact with those who had given him so much in his career. And to whom he gave so much,” writes BVB.
De Beer, who was born on January 2, 1964 in Dinslaken and began his professional career with MSV Duisburg, is survived by his wife Jutta and their daughters Jana and Lea.
