As recently as the end of October 2022, the FSV Duisburg captain announced to RevierSport that he would be leaving the Oberliga club in the winter. Now comes the end of his career.

“Actually, I came as a backup. The club has three other good keepers. I want to make room there with my 38 years and leave in the winter. I hope that we can come to an agreement on the termination of my contract,” Martin Klafflsberger told RevierSport at the end of October.

A good month later, the captain of Oberliga club FSV Duisburg has changed his plans. He is ending his career with immediate effect – similar to Patrick Dertwinkel of Spielvereinigung Schonnebeck.

Klafflsberger, who is currently recovering from a torn tendon, told RS on Saturday (26 November 2022): “I simply can’t manage to come back as quickly as I would like at this age. I know I could still do it in terms of performance, keep up. But the effort for that, as Patrick Dertwinkel already explained, is simply too high.”

Klafflsberger continued: “It hurts me a lot that I have to hang up my boots because I love football so much. But it’s no longer possible. If I undergo an operation, I will be absent from work for a long time. That’s not possible. My job and my family have absolute priority from now on.”

Does he still believe that the Duisburg team, which is in last place in the table, can stay in the league? Klafflsberger answers: “In football, everything is always possible. Last season, FSV was also in the bottom for a long time and still managed to save itself. With over 40 games, the season is damn long. I think the club will also do a lot in the winter as far as personnel is concerned. I’m definitely keeping my fingers crossed for the boys. “