Now he joins Aberdeen at a time when manager Jimmy Thelin is under pressure after just three wins in 15 games this season.
Chairman Dave Cormack hopes to tap into Pfannenstiel’s “extensive coaching, scouting, young player development and leadership expertise gained across different roles and cultures”.
“In particular, his technical knowledge, academy development experience and global recruitment network were key factors in the board selecting him for this critical role,” he told Aberdeen’s website.
Pfannenstiel, who will be responsible for all football and performance areas, is looking forward to joining a club with “rich tradition, a storied history and a true football soul”, starting on 10 November.
“Having spent time getting to know the club over the past two years, I’m inheriting a very strong infrastructure and team of staff,” he said.
Pfannenstiel will have presented a colourful CV to the Scottish Premiership club.
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Among his clubs as a player, Pfannenstiel was on the books of Nottingham Forest, Wimbledon, Huddersfield Town and Vancouver Whitecaps.
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While playing for Geyland United in Singapore in 2001, he was jailed after being accused of match-fixing for what he claims was “playing too well” and released because of a lack of evidence.
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On loan to Bradford Park Avenue, he was declared dead three times on the pitch after his lungs collapsed following a collision.
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During his time in New Zealand, he kidnapped a penguin and kept it in his bath, only to send it back when the president of Otago United warned him he could face deportation if caught.
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After retiring from playing in 2011 Pfannenstiel went into TV punditry, running coaching courses and raising awareness of climate change through Global United, the non-profit organisation he founded in 2010 and enlisting the help of legends like Zico, Zinedine Zidane, Lothar Matthaus and Carlos Valderrama.
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He published a biography in 2014, released in the UK as The Unstoppable Keeper, and was described by FourFourTwo magazine as the “craziest man in football”.
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Pfannenstiel spent nine years at 1899 Hoffenheim as head of international relations and scouting.
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He had two seasons as Fortuna Dusseldorf sporting director during which they finished 10th in the Bundesliga, their highest position in three decades.
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Pfannenstiel was sporting director with St Louis City for five years, creating their youth academy and training facility, as they won the Western Conference in 2023.