Lutz Pfannenstiel: Life as sporting director & Bundesliga analyst

Lutz Pfannenstiel may or may not be a familiar name or voice to you. As the sporting director, he played a key role in the successful launch of St Louis CITY SC. However, after a career that took him across the globe as a professional goalkeeper, his voice may ring a bell with you. He’s often a co-commentator for Bundesliga matches, alongside fan favorite Derek Rae.

In a conversation with World Soccer Talk, Pfannenstiel shed light on his team’s fairytale debut campaign. He also discussed the relative struggles of the 2024 season while looking ahead to 2025. Pfannenstiel also goes into depth regarding his scouting process and how a journeyman goalkeeping career and broadcasting work created the “biggest and most impressive network in professional soccer.”

Lutz Pfannenstiel discusses the inner workings of an expansion MLS team

Looking back at St. Louis’ start to life in MLS, Pfannenstiel is proud of the side’s record-shattering achievement. The Missouri-based MLS team collected maximum points from its first five games on its way to winning the Western Conference in their first year as a franchise.

“For me, having an expansion team directly after COVID was the most interesting job in football (soccer) when I came here,” Pfannenstiel said.

“It’s a very different way of rules and regulations with salary cap and roster rules than in Europe. You need to look at things a little differently. You need to calculate and prepare much more because it’s not really an open market. It’s not like whoever offers more money gets the player.”

The 51-year-old German built the club from the ground up since his appointment back in 2020, nearly three years before their debut in MLS. Earlier this year, St. Louis extended his contract through the 2026 season.

“I could share all my experience as a recruiter and sporting director as well as coaching in Africa,” he says. “I worked 35 years in football.”

For the 2025 season, MLS expands to 30 teams with San Diego FC, which paid an expansion fee of $500 million. During the All-Star game, MLS Commissioner Don Garber spoke highly of Indianapolis as a potential site for the next expansion. When asked to send his advice for the upcoming teams, Pfannenstiel stressed the necessity to keep it simple.

“You need to be very creative, but you also need to be very clear with yourself. How you want to play football,” Pfannenstiel remarks. “Setting your plan for the short, medium and long term is a must. You can succeed if you go with the flow.”

St. Louis sporting director remains optimistic about 2025

That success has been harder to come by for Pfannenstiel and St. Louis this season. A defeat to Minnesota United FC in matchday 29 has all but ended St. Louis’ chances of MLS Cup participation. Although they once again went unbeaten in the first five games, the club let go of manager Bradley Carnell after disappointing results in the first half of the season. Technical director John Hackworth is seeing out the season as an interim coach.

“The first season was a Cinderella story. We broke all the records and won our conference. We were lucky enough to stay injury-free,” Pfannenstiel recalled. “But, then, the second year was a completely different story. We had to make some changes and had an unbelievable amount of injuries. 

“Especially in July and August, there were games in which we had nearly 50% of the squad out due to injuries. In a league like MLS, the number of rosters and salaries, you can’t compete. It was a good lesson for us in the future.”

Instead of clinging to this season’s struggles, Pfannenstiel looks forward to the new season with renewed hope. He also seeks the positives from their recent run of results that saw them go four games unbeaten.

“We deserved the win against LA Galaxy as we played a great game, and we could’ve also won the away games at Portland and New England on artificial turf,” he adds. “We know where we stand. Looking at the opponents, it’s a very difficult task to rescue the season. We have to probably win five or all six remaining games,” Pfannenstiel said a day before the 3-1 loss to Minnesota.

For Lutz Pfannenstiel, St. Louis doesn’t need a big makeover for 2025. He believes the current crop of players are capable of redeeming themselves.

“I’m not worried about 2025 at all. If you look at my board and look at the length of contracts, we only need very small changes. We may add one or two players, but that’s about it. Our spine from the squad for the next season stands.

“If I compare our development to other teams, we’ll definitely play a good role again. If we stay away from injuries and the squad is available, we’ll have a competitive team for the next season.”

Growing German influence in St. Louis

The club’s record goalscorers Joao Klauss and Eduard Lowen were certainly the players they missed the most this season. On Saturday, Klauss returned to the starting lineup for the first time in nearly three months. During the early season, Lowen missed a couple of months due to muscular problems.

As has been the case more often than not, Pfannenstiel working at Hoffenheim and Fortuna Dusseldorf catalyzed these transfers. He fondly remembers the processes of courting the players for the expansion team.

“I brought Klauss to Hoffenheim like I did with [Roberto] Firmino and Joelinton. He was only 18 back then and his playing time was limited in a team with a world-class striker like Kramaric. He scored lots of goals on loan in Finland and Austria. When he was in Belgium on loan, I saw the opportunity to bring him to St. Louis. I knew that he’d be an exceptional MLS striker.

“I know his family and his character, and I focused not only on the player but the person. For example, he calls me ‘pap’,” he adds.

Although he didn’t succeed at signing Lowen in the Bundesliga, he made it happen in the third time of asking. “I tried to sign him with Hoffenheim and Dusseldorf, but he’s here. He’s an outstanding player.”

But it’s more of a coincidence that they recently signed three players from the 2. Bundesliga league, according to the sporting director. Cedric Teuchert and Marcel Hartel scored the goals in the win against Marco Reus’ LA Galaxy.

In particular, Pfannenstiel has high praises for the winger who starred for St. Pauli in a successful promotion bid to the Bundesliga. “Signing Hartel for free was very sweet,” he says before admitting the difficulty of the deal for the designated player.

“He’s already many people’s favorite player. Lots of them are surprised with the move because he could’ve made a big impact in the Bundesliga or could’ve gone to France or Spain.”

Pfannenstiel considers 2. Bundesliga as “the best second-division for purely soccer reasons.” As he enthusiastically mentioned the clubs with a quick glance at the live standings, he raved about unbelievably giant clubs, high-quality teams, and big crowds.

The influence of German soccer is also reflected in their playing style, Pfannenstiel believes. And the biggest impact is between the sticks for the former goalkeeper. 

“Roman Burki is the best goalie [to have] ever played in MLS or even America. We’re thrilled that he’s here.”

Although he has a highly demanding job at St. Louis, Pfannenstiel remains in touch with his past. He keenly follows the matches of his previous clubs and regularly chats with the people he worked with.

“I’m watching nearly all of Hoffenheim’s games and lots of Dusseldorf matches. I still follow my former teams. For me, it’s pretty normal to stay in touch with the past.

“I still have direct contact with lots of people from my previous clubs and also through media roles. I’m basically friends with 90% of sporting directors from Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga. To get hold of them is pretty easy. Also, in countries like Belgium, Switzerland, England and France, my network is one of the biggest and most impressive in professional football (soccer).”

Life as a journeyman goalkeeper for Lutz Pfannenstiel

A playing career that saw him featured for a total of 25 clubs from six continents played a big part in that. To this day, Pfannenstiel is the only professional to ply his trade in all FIFA confederations. But that wasn’t part of the plan until the last hurdle.

“I learned about it when I was playing for the Vancouver Whitecaps, the team currently in our conference. I remember that we had a good season. Two weeks after facing David Beckham, my agent called and told me that I played in five continents. He mentioned there’s only one missing.”

His agent had a lot of convincing to do, however. At the age of 34, the goalkeeper who played in 12 countries started to long for security. In his autobiography, The Unstoppable Keeper, Pfannenstiel wrote he was slowly setting himself up with a normal life in Canada.

He revisited that time with World Soccer Talk. “My agent asked me if I was interested in going to South America. At first, I wasn’t. I was happy in Vancouver. But he was very persistent about the world record,” 

There was one condition he couldn’t decline an offer, though.

“Playing in Brazil was always a childhood dream for me. There were offers from Paraguay and Uruguay, but I really didn’t consider that. So, the last continent was manufactured, but the other five were all coincidental. I just wanted to play football and didn’t care much about the record.”

In a playing career that took him to all four corners of the world, Pfannenstiel experienced unique stories. While in Bradford, his physio thought the goalkeeper was dead after “a freak injury” suffered on Boxing Day in 2002.

“My injury was very unique. It’s like the only recorded incidents of that kind in professional football (soccer),” he says. “My physio was very good at keeping me alive before the ambulance arrived. If it was ten minutes late, I’d have been dead”

Amidst concerns over players’ health in contact sports, Pfannenstiel believes the US is the frontrunner at handling serious injuries with care. Preparing for the worst and education on first aid will further improve chances of controlling similar situations.

“In the US, when it comes to concussion protocols, that’s the leading country in the world. There’s definitely a big step in the right direction,” Pfannenstiel says. “Injuries and accidents always happen in pro football, but it’s all about being as prepared as possible for clubs and officials. To have the maximum education on how to save and protect players is a must.”

“When I went back to my studio at home, I enjoyed it”

The moment he hung up his gloves, Pfannenstiel found himself working as a pundit on multiple TV channels, mostly in Europe. Most notably, he worked in Bundesliga’s world-feed commentary throughout his time at Hoffenheim (director of recruitment) and Dusseldorf (sporting CEO).

“When I moved to America, I couldn’t really do that much because the world-feed of the Bundesliga is always based in Germany. But, after ESPN won the rights for Bundesliga, they approached me.”

But it’s still difficult for him to work in a commentary team when St. Louis plays away from home. He covered his first game of the season alongside a long-time commentary companion Derek Rae on ESPN+ when Borussia Dortmund beat Heidenheim 4-2 on Friday.

“I was talking to some of the Dortmund players and coaching team as well as the sporting director of Heidenheim. I do my homework and talk to key figures of the game. It also helps to enquire that as a sporting director and not as a journalist.”

The network he built over the years has had a tremendous impact on his game preparation. He strongly believes there should never be an excuse “to just turn up to the studio and talk without preparation.”

“You need to be prepared extremely well. Knowing all the coaches and the background of most of the players personally helps a lot to describe their characteristics and efforts.”

Still, in comparison to his job that demands building a competitive MLS club, co-commentary duty is a relaxing experience. “Most importantly, it’s fun and relaxes me. Working as a sporting director is demanding with lots of responsibilities, especially during the transfer market. When I went back to my studio at home, I enjoyed it.”

Pfannenstiel also sees the link between his two jobs. Working in the media allows him to have a distinct look at players and tactics.

“I see things from a different perspective when I’m on the media side. You see things more clearly. Secondly, it’s very important in the scouting process. It helps me a lot to scout and gain information and to watch more details than anything else,” he says.

Lutz Pfannenstiel sees Rae as one of the best in the business. Even though he’s not doing world-feed commentary anymore, he usually works alongside the EA Sports FC video commentator for ESPN. During the international break, Rae visited Pfannenstiel in Foxboro to witness St. Louis’ 2-2 draw against the New England Revolution.

“For me, Derek is a legend of the game. He’s one of the top five commentators in recent history. His Bundesliga knowledge is especially tremendous. He is like a walking Wikipedia. As my main partner, we worked on a lot of games together and have great chemistry. He is a great human being. And one of the biggest experts when it comes to being a football commentator.”

How to build a club

His book, The Unstoppable Keeper, was released in 2014, five years after its German release. As the founder of Global United FC, a non-profit association dedicated to protecting the environment by raising climate change awareness, Lutz feels he could drift to a different genre in the future. 

“Since I released my last book, I think my life has become a little more quiet. The life of a sporting director is not as exciting as a journeyman goalkeeper.

“It’s a different life now. I think I can write a book on how to build a football (soccer) club.”

PHOTOS: IMAGO.