Karl-Heinz "Kalle" Rummenigge (; born 25 September 1955) is a German football executive and former professional footballer. Widely regarded as one of the greatest German footballers of all time, he also served as the Chairman of Executive Board of FC Bayern München AG, a daughter company of German Bundesliga team Bayern Munich.
As a player, Rummenigge achieved significant success with Bayern Munich, where he won the Intercontinental Cup, two European Cups, as well as two league titles and two domestic cups. He also won two Ballon d'Or awards, in 1980 and 1981. In 2004, Rummenigge was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players.
A member of the West Germany national team, Rummenigge won the 1980 European Championship and captained the squad that finished runner-up in the 1982 and 1986 World Cups.
Rummenigge is a former chairman of the European Club Association (ECA), serving in that capacity from 2008 until 2017. He also served as representative of the ECA to the UEFA Executive Committee from 2021 to 2024.
Club career
Rummenigge was born in Lippstadt, North Rhine-Westphalia.
He joined Bayern Munich in 1974, coming from the Westphalian amateur side Borussia Lippstadt, for a transfer fee of . He immediately showed strength as a dribbler. His scoring qualities were initially insignificant, but would find improvement in later years, particularly after the arrival of coach Pal Csernai in 1979. In 1979–80, he scored 26 goals and became for the first time the Bundesliga's top striker, a feat he repeated in 1981 and 1984 with 29 and 26 goals, respectively.
With Bayern, he won the European Cup in 1975 and 1976. In 1975, he did not take part in the final of the competition, whilst in the year thereafter a glass of brandy sufficiently prepared the nervous Rummenigge to contribute to the defeat of AS Saint-Étienne. In the same year he became also part of the team that prevailed in the Intercontinental Cup finals against Cruzeiro EC from Belo Horizonte.
During the tenure of coach Pál Csernai, he developed an effective partnership with midfielder Paul Breitner. The duo was nicknamed ‘Breitnigge,’ a portmanteau coined by the German newspaper Bild.
The club, then often dubbed as "FC Breitnigge", won in this period the Bundesliga title in 1980 and 1981, and the DFB-Pokal in 1982 and 1984. A renewed triumph in the European Cup was denied, when the club lost the 1982 final narrowly against Aston Villa. In the season before Rummenigge was top-scorer in this competition with 6 goals.
His substantial contribution to the successes of the club and the Germany national football team found also expression in personal honours. In 1980, he was named German Footballer of the Year and in 1980–81 the European Footballer of the Year.
In 1984, aged 29, he was sold for a record fee of €5.7m to Inter Milan. Despite a notable beginning, in which he helped the team to compete until the end for the 1984–85 Scudetto, Rumenigge's career in Italy was mostly marred by injury problems. At the end of his contract in 1987, Rummenigge moved on to Swiss first division club Servette FC in Geneva, where he saw his career out. In his last season, 1988–89, he had his last success, becoming top scorer in the Swiss league with 24 goals.
International career
With the West Germany national team he took part in the 1978 World Cup in Argentina, the 1982 World Cup in Spain and the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. In 1978, West Germany exited in the second group stage of the tournament. In 1982 and 1986, the team were runners-up to Italy and Argentina, giving him the unique distinction of captaining the senior team to two silver medals in the FIFA World Cup.
Rummenigge also took part in two European Championship tournaments. In the 1980 competition in Italy, West Germany defeated Belgium in the final by 2–1 to win their second UEFA Euro.
Altogether, between 1976 and 1986, Rummenigge amassed 95 caps and scored 45 goals for West Germany, including one in extra-time in the 1982 World Cup semi-final victory over France, and one in the losing 1986 World Cup final match against Argentina. He also scored a hat-trick in a group stage game against Chile during the 1982 World Cup.
Style of play
Known as an attacker, Rummenigge was capable of playing as a centre-forward, second striker, or winger. He was renowned for his movement. Renowned for his exceptional goalscoring instincts, he was capable of scoring from difficult positions.
Rummenigge was also praised for his both-footedness, aerial ability, leadership and professionalism. Although his later career was hampered by recurring injuries, particularly following his move to Inter Milan, he remained an effective and influential attacking player.
Bayern Munich management
In autumn 1991, Bayern Munich invited Franz Beckenbauer and Rummenigge to return to the club as vice presidents. Rummenigge held this position until February 2002, when he was appointed Chairman of Executive Board of the newly corporatised football department of the club (FC Bayern München AG). According to the club, "in his role as chairman he is responsible for external relations, new media, board affairs and representing the holding company on national and international bodies."
During his tenure, Bayern Munich managed to move to their new stadium, Allianz Arena. Oliver Kahn took over his CEO position at Bayern Munich from 1 July 2021. Rummenigge was appointed a member of the supervisory board on 30 May 2023.
Miscellaneous In April 1983, the British pop duo Alan & Denise recorded a tribute song about his "sexy knees" in the song "Rummenigge". The single reached number 43 in German charts.
From 1990 until 1994, Rummenigge worked as a TV co–commentator for matches of the German national team.
In March 2004, he was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers.
In 2026, Rummenigge was introduced as one of the new "Class of '27" Icons in EA Sports FC 27, receiving a 90-rated Icon player item.
His brother Michael Rummenigge was also a noteworthy footballer, who played as a forward for Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund and was capped twice by West Germany.
Rummenigge and his wife Martina have three sons and two daughters born between 1980 and 1991.
Rummenigge supports ending the 50+1 rule.
Career statistics Club + Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueNational cupEuropeOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsBayern Munich1974–75Bundesliga2153140—2861975–7632872932050131976–77311252614046151977–782983066—38141978–79341420——36141979–80342635105—47361980–8134293486—45391981–8232147796—48271982–8334202061—42211983–8429267462—4232Total3101624225643060422217Inter Milan1984–85Serie A2689595—44181985–8624136293—39181986–871435251—246Total6424209239—10742Servette1987–88Nationalliga A2810——28101988–89322440—3624Total6034 40—6434Career total4342206234913960593293
International + Appearances and goals by national team and yearNational teamYearAppsGoalsGermany19762019776119781241979851980104198111919821391983108198481198563198691Total9545
Scores and results list West Germany's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Rummenigge goal.
+ List of international goals scored by Karl-Heinz RummeniggeNo.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition1 8 October 1977 Olympic Stadium, West Berlin, West Germany 2–0 2–1 Friendly2 6 June 1978 Estadio Chateau Carreras, Córdoba, Argentina 3–0 6–0 FIFA World Cup 19783 5–04 21 June 1978 Estadio Chateau Carreras, Córdoba, Argentina 1–0 2–3 FIFA World Cup 19785 20 December 1978 Rheinstadion, Düsseldorf, West Germany 1–0 3–1 Friendly6 22 May 1979 Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Republic of Ireland 1–1 3–1 Friendly7 12 September 1979 Olympic Stadium, West Berlin, West Germany 2–0 2–1 Friendly8 17 October 1979 Müngersdorfer Stadion, Cologne, West Germany 4–0 5–1 UEFA Euro 1980 qualifying9 21 November 1979 Boris Paichadze Stadium, Tbilisi, Soviet Union 1–0 3–1 Friendly10 2–011 27 February 1980 Weserstadion, Bremen, West Germany 7–0 8–0 UEFA Euro 1980 qualifying12 13 May 1980 Waldstadion, Frankfurt, West Germany 1–0 3–1 Friendly13 11 June 1980 Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy 1–0 1–0 UEFA Euro 198014 3 December 1980 Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria 3–0 3–1 FIFA World Cup 1982 qualifying15 2 September 1981 Silesian Stadium, Chorzów, Poland 2–0 2–0 Friendly16 23 September 1981 Ruhrstadion, Bochum, West Germany 2–1 7–1 FIFA World Cup 1982 qualifying17 4–118 6–119 18 November 1981 Westfalenstadion, Dortmund, West Germany 1–0 8–0 FIFA World Cup 1982 qualifying20 2–021 5–022 22 November 1981 Rheinstadion, Düsseldorf, West Germany 2–0 4–0 FIFA World Cup 1982 qualifying23 4–024 12 May 1982 Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway 1–0 4–2 Friendly25 4–226 16 June 1982 El Molinón, Gijón, Spain 1–1 1–2 FIFA World Cup 198227 20 June 1982 El Molinón, Gijón, Spain 1–0 4–1 FIFA World Cup 198228 2–029 3–030 8 July 1982 Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, Seville, Spain 2–3 3–3 (a.e.t.), 5–4 (pen.) FIFA World Cup 198231 13 October 1982 Wembley Stadium, London, England 1–0 2–1 Friendly32 2–033 30 March 1983 Qemal Stafa, Tirana, Albania 2–0 2–1 UEFA Euro 1984 qualifying34 23 April 1983 İzmir Atatürk Stadium, İzmir, Turkey 1–0 3–0 UEFA Euro 1984 qualifying35 3–036 7 June 1983 Stade Municipal, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg 4–2 4–2 Friendly (Jubilee match: 75 years FLF)37 5 October 1983 Parkstadion, Gelsenkirchen, West Germany 1–0 3–0 UEFA Euro 1984 qualifying38 26 October 1983 Olympic Stadium, West Berlin, West Germany 2–0 5–1 UEFA Euro 1984 qualifying39 5–140 20 November 1983 Ludwigspark Stadion, Saarbrücken, West Germany 1–1 2–1 UEFA Euro 1984 qualifying41 17 October 1984 Müngersdorfer Stadion, Cologne, West Germany 2–0 2–0 FIFA World Cup 1986 qualifying42 27 March 1985 Ludwigspark Stadion, Saarbrücken, West Germany 5–0 6–0 FIFA World Cup 1986 qualifying43 6–044 17 November 1985 Olympic Stadium, Munich, West Germany 2–2 2–2 FIFA World Cup 1986 qualifying45 29 June 1986 Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico 1–2 2–3 FIFA World Cup 1986
Honours
Bayern Munich Bundesliga: 1979–80, 1980–81 DFB-Pokal: 1981–82, 1983–84 European Cup: 1974–75, 1975–76 Intercontinental Cup: 1976
West Germany UEFA European Championship: 1980 FIFA World Cup runner-up: 1982, 1986
Individual Kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84 Sport Ideal European XI: 1979, 1980 Guérin Sportivo All-Star team: 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984 Bundesliga Top Goalscorer: 1979–80, 1980–81, 1983–84 Goal of the Year (Germany): 1980, 1981 Footballer of the Year (Germany): 1980 Guérin Sportivo Player of the Year. 1980 UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 1980 Ballon d'Or: 1980, 1981; runner-up: 1979 Onze d'Or 1980, 1981 Onze de Bronze: 1983 Onze Mondial: 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985 Bravo Otto: 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984 European Cup Top Goalscorer: 1980–81 FIFA World Cup Silver Shoe: 1982 FIFA World Cup Bronze Ball: 1982 FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1982 DFB Pokal Top Goalscorer: 1981–82 World XI: 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985 Serie A Team of The Year: 1985 Swiss League Top Goalscorer: 1988–89 Swiss Foreign Footballer of the Year: 1988–89 FIFA 100 Bayern Munich All-time XI Golden Foot, as football legend: 2009 'Best European Manager' at the Golden Boy Awards by Tuttosport: 2020 Italian Football Hall of Fame: 2021
See also List of European association football families List of FIFA World Cup top goalscorers
Notes
References
External links
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge at fcbayern.de Karl-Heinz Rummenigge at soccer-Europe.com