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Now he joins Aberdeen at a time when coach Jimmy Thelen is under pressure after just three wins in 15 games this season.
Chairman Dave Cormack hopes to benefit from “the extensive training, scouting and development of young players and leadership experience gained across different roles and cultures”.
“In particular, his technical knowledge, experience in developing the academy and global recruitment network were key factors in the board selecting him for this crucial role,” he told the Aberdeen website.
Pfannenstiel, who will be responsible for all areas of football and performance, is looking forward to joining a club with a “rich tradition, rich history and true football spirit”, starting on 10 November.
“Having spent some time getting to know the club over the past two years, I have inherited a very strong infrastructure and team of staff,” he said.
Pfannenstiel will have brought a colorful 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 Gilland United in Singapore in 2001, he was jailed after being charged with match-fixing for what he claimed was “playing too well” and was released due to lack of evidence.
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On loan to Bradford Park Avenue, he was declared dead on three occasions 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 bathtub, then returned it when the Otago United president warned him he could face deportation if caught.
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After retiring from playing in 2011, Pfannenstiel went into television criticism, conducting training sessions and raising awareness of climate change through the non-profit Global United, which he founded in 2010 and enlisting the help of legends such as Zico, Zinedine Zidane, Lothar Matthaus and Carlos Valderrama.
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He published his autobiography in 2014, published in the UK under the title The Unstoppable Keeper, and Four Four Two magazine described him as “the craziest man in football”.
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Pfannenstiel spent nine years at Hoffenheim in 1899 as head of international relations and scouting.
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He had two seasons as sporting director of Fortuna Düsseldorf, where they finished 10th in the Bundesliga, their highest position in three decades.
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Pfannenstiel was St. Louis City FC’s athletic director for five years, establishing the youth academy and training facility, as they won the Western Conference in 2023.
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