Hans-Jörg Butt, a standout goalkeeper for Hamburg SV, gained fame for his exceptional ability to score penalties, setting records in the Bundesliga with 17 successful penalties without a miss. His legacy is echoed by Harry Kane, who has matched Butt’s nine penalties in a season and aims to surpass Paul Breitner’s record. Despite occasional mishaps, such as a surprising goal conceded during a celebration, Butt’s remarkable career includes 26 converted penalties and 14 saves, cementing his place in football history.
The Legendary Hans-Jörg Butt: A Goal-Scoring Goalkeeper
Hans-Jörg Butt made headlines a quarter-century ago, capturing the attention of football fans as the extraordinary goalkeeper for Hamburg SV. What made him truly remarkable was his ability to score goals—not just any goals, but penalty goals. This unique talent has recently echoed in the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane, who is poised to shatter Butt’s impressive record.
Harry Kane: Following in Butt’s Footsteps
Back in March 2000, Schalke’s goalkeeper Oliver Reck expressed his frustration trying to decipher Butt’s penalty prowess, famously stating, “It doesn’t help to write down where Butt aims. The bastard shoots wherever he wants.” By early March that year, Butt had already netted nine goals from the spot, setting a personal record of 17 successful penalties without a miss. Years later, Robert Lewandowski would replicate this remarkable feat in the Bundesliga. Butt himself casually remarked, “Taking penalties is like brushing your teeth; you don’t think about it.”
Fast forward to the present, and Kane has matched Butt’s tally of nine penalties converted in a single season and is on track to break Paul Breitner’s all-time record of ten successful penalties in the 1980/81 season. Back in the year 2000, speculation swirled around whether Butt could emerge as the league’s top scorer, with commentators noting the peculiar nature of his scoring prowess, often joking about the disparity between his penalty goals and goals from open play.
Coaches and analysts at the time recognized that Butt had a specific edge when it came to penalties. Referee spokesman Manfred Amerell noted, “When there are penalties, there’s often theater… By the time Butt is up front, the referee has the whole thing under control.” Butt’s remarkable accuracy stemmed from his understanding of goalkeeping, as he explained, “I tried to read the goalkeeper and waited for his reaction. A reasonably well-placed shot from eleven meters is no longer reachable if the goalkeeper stays still.” His lighthearted approach to the pressure of penalties was evident when he quipped about the exhausting nature of sprinting to the spot.
However, the potential for mishaps was always lurking in the background. Coaches prepared their teams for the chance that Butt might miss, but he remained unfazed, stating, “I don’t care at all. I don’t assume that I will miss a penalty.” Little did he know that a legendary moment was on the horizon—one that would become a staple of Bundesliga lore.
During the 2003/04 season, a dramatic incident unfolded involving Schalke’s Mike Hanke. After Butt had confidently scored another penalty, he celebrated, oblivious to what was happening on the field. Hanke, noticing Butt’s distraction, seized the opportunity to strike. With a swift kick, Hanke sent the ball soaring into the net, catching Butt off guard. Reflecting on the moment, Butt later admitted he had been “somehow held up.”
Remarkably, this would be Butt’s only blunder in a career where he converted 26 penalties and saved 14, a remarkable statistic that continues to resonate in Bundesliga history more than six decades later.