Horst-Dieter Höttges

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Horst-Dieter Höttges (* 10). September 1943 in Munich Gladbach; † June 22, 2023 in Verden (Aller) was a German footballer who received the nickname “Iron Foot” due to his hard but effective defensive game. With 420 Bundesliga games for Werder Bremen between 1964 and 1978, he became the club's record field player. As part of the German national football team, he became European champion in 1972 and world champion in 1974.

Sports career

Club career
From his main association Blau-Weiß Dahl he joined Borussia Mönchengladbach in 1960. After a year in the Regionalliga West (season 1963/64) with Borussia Mönchengladbach, Höttges completed 420 games in the Bundesliga from 1964 to 1978 for Werder Bremen. He scored at least one goal for Werder in every season. In total, he scored 55 Bundesliga players, 39 of them by penalties and five free kick goals, as well as 13 goals in the DFB Cup, nine of them by penalties. He is the fielder with the most Bundesliga games for Werder Bremen, he is surpassed only by goalkeeper Dieter Burdenski.

In 1965 he won the German Championship with Werder Bremen. In 1966 he was fourth with Bremen, in 1968 vice-champion. Three times he reached with Bremen the semi-final in the DFB Cup (1972, 1973 and 1978). In the 1970s, Höttges was used in the club predominantly as a pre-stopper, then as Libero. Between 1968 and 1978 Bremen played only in midfield or in the lower ranks of the Bundesliga. Great successes remained despite millions of investments. The flapsy saying: “As long as I play, Werder does not descend!”, with which Höttges was repeatedly quoted, should be true.

In 1978, Horst-Dieter Höttges, who had the nickname "Iron Foot" as an active player, ended his career as a Bundesliga player. After a year as an amateur in Oberbecksen, he returned to the Green Whites: In the 1979/80 season he played for the Werder Bremen amateurs in the then Amateuroberliga Nord. The attempt to reactivate him as Libero for the defense weak Bundesliga team, however, could not be carried out for formal reasons. In fact, the professional team in that second season after Höttges retired from the Bundesliga for one year. In his official farewell match in December 1979, 15,000 spectators faced the SV Werder and a Bundesliga selection (2:3). The selection was supervised by Helmut Schön and had with Kevin Keegan, Paul Breitner, Jürgen Grabowski, Bernd Hölzenbein, Berti Vogts and Sigfried Held long-time companions of Höttges in their ranks. Under the direction of Walter Eschweiler, the “iron foot” transformed a foul meter in the 37th minute of play.

Höttges played for several years in the Uwe-Seeler-Traditionself. He remained closely connected to the SV Werder Bremen and was often a guest at the home games in the Weserstadion. He was supervisor of the U15 team of the SV Werder.

Selection operations
Höttges debuted on 27. November 1