"Forever grateful": Hoeneß pays tribute to Bayern saviour Rummenigge | OneFootball

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is one of the defining figures in the history of FC Bayern – both as a world-class player and as a key figure in the executive suite. On the occasion of his long-time companion's 70th birthday, Uli Hoeneß has taken a very personal look back in a conversation with SPORT1.

“I have experienced just about everything with him that one can experience. He joined FC Bayern in 1974 as a young player, shortly after we became world champions. We gladly welcomed him back then. He was an incredible dribbler, initially a bit nervous, so the goals didn’t come immediately. But he matured into an absolute world-class player at FC Bayern and in the national team,” Hoeneß recalled.

After his active career in Munich, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge moved to Inter Milan and later to Geneva. Even then, it was evident how closely the history of FC Bayern was connected with his person.

“His transfer helped Bayern to become healthy”

Photo: IMAGO

For Hoeneß, Rummenigge's move to Italy remains particularly impressive to this day. The transfer had far-reaching consequences for the club's financial situation. “When I became manager, FC Bayern had around seven million marks in debt. Through his transfer – which was about eleven million marks at the time – we became debt-free. With the remaining four million, I then signed Lothar Matthäus for two million and Roland Wohlfarth for one million. The remaining million was used to create FC Bayern's fixed deposit account. We owe Karl-Heinz endless gratitude for that: His transfer helped FC Bayern to become healthy.”

However, the relationship between Hoeneß and Rummenigge was not always conflict-free. They had intense disputes over the years. “We sometimes clashed during meetings and discussions, things got heated. But – and this is the crucial difference compared to today: Nowadays, people get offended quickly and don’t speak to each other for weeks. That never happened with us. We were often very tough on each other in matters, but that never changed our personal friendship,” Hoeneß emphasized.

Friendship despite tough disputes

For Hoeneß, it is precisely this ability to distinguish between the matter at hand and the personal level that makes their friendship so special. For decades, both stood at the center of Munich's success story – first as players, later as managers and officials who shaped the record champions into a global top club.

On the occasion of his companion's 70th birthday, Hoeneß leaves no doubt about the significance Rummenigge holds for FC Bayern: He was not only one of the best players of his time but also a crucial architect of the modern Bayern.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.