Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is a name that might be familiar to many modern fans of the game, as he was widely known during stint as Bayern Munich's CEO. However, what is unknown to most fans of this generation is how brilliant Rummenigge was as a player.
The German forward had an outstanding 10 year stint with the Bavarians, during which they dominated both Germany and Europe. Let us now look back at his magnificent career, as we pay tribute to the outstanding German.
German royalty
After spending his youth career at German side SV Lippstadt 08, Rummenigge made the switch to Bayern in 1974 after the Bavarians paid a €10,000 transfer fee to Lippstadt 08. Rummenigge began to impress at Bayern, especially due to his exquisite dribbling skills. Although he wasn't excellent when it came to scoring, the German forward improved in that aspect during his later years.
The arrival of coach Pal Csernai in 1979 was a major boost for the player, as the former managed to bring out the best in him. Under Csernai, Rummenigge finished the 1979–80 season as Bundesliga top scorer with 26 goals. This was just the beginning of greatness, as he repeated these feats in 1981 and 1984 with 29 and 26 goals respectively.
Rummenigge was a part of Bayern's period of dominance in Europe, which saw them when back-to-back Champions League titles in 1975 and 1976. Although the German forward wasn't a part of the 1975 final, he was a part of the 1976 side that beat
Saint-Étienne to clinch the biggest prize in club football.
Another highlight of his time with Bayern was Rummenigge's partnership with midfielder Paul Breitner, with the pair being named as Breitnigge by popular German magazine Bild at the time.
Bayern and Rummenigge began the 1980s in dominating fashion, as the Bavarians won the Bundesliga DFB-Pokal twice (1980,1981, and 1982-1984 respectively). They were on course for yet another European triumph as well, but ended up losing the 1982 European Cup final to Aston Villa. It was a tough pill to swallow, especially for Rummenigge, who finished that season as Champions League top scorer with 6 goals.
Move to Italy and eventual retirement
Rummenigge ended his 10 year stint with Bayern after joining Italian giants Inter Milan for a then record €5.7m fee in 1984. Although the German began his Italian career on a positive note, injury issues ended up ruining his stint with the Nerazzurri. The German failed to win any major silverware during his 3 years at Inter.
This was followed by a move to Swiss club Servette, where Rummenigge spent the final 2 years of his football career. He left the beautiful game on a heroic note, finished the 1988–89 season as league top scorer with 24 goals.
Legacy
Rummenigge was an instrumental part of the German national side as well, earning 95 caps and scoring 46 goals between 1976 and 1986. Germany's second placed finish to Italy and Argentina in the 1982 and 1986 World Cups respectively gave Rummenigge the unique distinction of captaining the senior team to two silver medals in the FIFA World Cup.
Despite the World Cup heartbreaks, the German forward managed to win the 1980 European Championship with his national team. A 2-1 win over Belgium in the finals ensured that Germany clinched their second UEFA Euro title.
Rummenigge was simply a legend both for Bayern and the German national side. His contribution for both club and country saw him earn major individual accolades. This includes the 1980 German Footballer of the Year award and the European Footballer of the Year for his heroics in the 1980–1981 season. He will forever be remembered as one of the finest in German football history.
