Eike Immel Declared Bankrupt and is Living Off Benefits

· GiveMeSport

Eike Immel, who once played for Manchester City and won the European Championships, is now struggling to make ends meet.

Formerly of Bundesliga duo VfB Stuttgart and Borussia Dortmund, Eike Immel’s life nowadays looks the polar opposite of the one he lived as one of football’s most revered glovesmen in his pomp, having been declared bankrupt and then sent to jail.

Immel, now 65 years of age, enjoyed a glittering career between 1978 and 1997 after emerging from die Schwarzgelben ’s academy ranks. Internationally, the goalkeeper racked up 19 caps for West Germany after making his debut in October 1980, aged 19, under Jupp Derwall.

A one-time European Championship winner, the Stadtallendorf-born goalkeeper revealed in 2024 that he had gone from living the lavish life of a footballer to living off benefits in a council flat, often with as little as £2 in his bank account.

Eike Immel – Senior Career Statistics

He also spent three seasons in England with Manchester City , where he made 50 appearances in total, before retiring from the English outfit. Overall, the 1960-born star kept 187 clean sheets – and conceded 1,016 strikes – in his 670-game club career.

But that all suddenly changed 18 years ago – in 2008 – after being forced to declare personal bankruptcy, 11 years on from his retirement from professional football. Amid his financial difficulties, his wife filed for divorce, and he had to give up custody of his children.

So, what went wrong? After spending just shy of 20 years living plenty of young lads’ dreams, Immel was back in his hometown of Stadtallendorf, having been divorced by his wife. Sadly, he also had to give up custody of his children.

Speaking to Stat 1 , per MailOnline , he revealed that he used to ‘live the life of Riley’ – depicted as a luxurious and easy life – having racked up hefty bills for both his phone and new clothes for his then-partner.

> “Money wasn’t a concern for me in the past. I used to live the life of Riley. Sometimes my mobile phone bill came to €10,000 [£9,000] a month. One Christmas I spent £25,000 on clothes for my new girlfriend. > > "I paid £1 million for my home, but at one point the bailiffs were at my door. I did things that any normal person would say can’t be true. I hadn’t given enough thought to the future. Dealing with money is not one of my strengths."

Referencing the drastic change in his post-retirement lifestyle, Immel went on to explain that he was living off state benefits, having £972 to navigate on a monthly basis - a figure awfully dissimilar to what he was earning during his playing days.

Immel is one of four goalkeepers to rack up 500 Bundesliga appearances with 534 – he is joined by Manuel Neuer (501), Oliver Kahn (557) and Uli Stein (512).

In such a time of financial-based struggle, Immel also explained how his friends helped him out in a time of need. Not only would he regularly eat in a friend-owned restaurant near his residence and was gifted the furniture inside his apartment.

> “I now live on £972 a month on benefits. £491 of that goes on rent, leaving me with just £481 for other expenses. It is a real battle to make ends meet. Sometimes I have just £2 left. The furnishings in the flat have all been given to me, and a friend who runs a local restaurant lets me eat for free. I am thankful for the help. But I wish it didn’t have to be this way.”

In August 2025, it was reported that Immel had been sentenced to two years and two months in prison in relation to 107 cases of fraud.

According to reports in Germany, most cases related to money Immel had borrowed and not returned. The total money in question was said to be £29,775.

The retired goalkeeper's defence argued that Immel's financial insecurity led him to be unable to repay the money he owed. His attorney said in a statement:

> "Mr Immel is deeply ashamed of what is being discussed here in the courtroom today. He lives hand to mouth. This fact has been publicly known for years. [He is] not a professional fraudster, but a failed former footballer."

While Immel is evidently struggling with post-football life, there are a host of former professionals that – over the years – have dwindled into a state of bankruptcy. Previously, HMRC filed a bankruptcy petition against former Manchester United ace Wes Brown in February 2023.

The former England international opened up about the struggles of facing financial troubles after calling time on his career, admitting he didn’t have the ‘right people’ to guide him in the embryonic stages of his playing days.

The former Manchester United defender was declared bankrupt last year.

Former West Ham United and Australia centre-back Lucas Neill is another former professional who has endured financial terror since calling time on his career and hanging up his boots.

From earning a hefty weekly wage of £40,000 to getting caught up in a tax scheme, the former West Ham United skipper spoke to The Times about his difficulties in post-football life.

> “People couldn’t believe it, but I had nothing left. That was my rock bottom. After 20 years of a football career and all this hard work, I’ve got nothing to show for it.”

Per MailOnline , a spokesperson said that an estimated 40 per cent of professional footballers go bankrupt within five years post-retirement, with many having to face the defiant wrath of HMRC, whose demands for repayment of huge, disputed tax reliefs can cause a financial burden.

All statistics per Transfermarkt – correct as of 30/09/26.

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