Former Boss of Bayern in the detailed interview: Rummenigge about investors and expensive extensions

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has successfully led FC Bayern for nearly two decades as Chief Executive Officer. After his retreat at the German football record champion, the 66-year-old has now been expressed to the urgent questions about the club: how are the Munich to investors? Why were the expensive extensions with Joshua Kimmich and Co. Alternative? And how is Rummenigges relation to the new FCB boss Oliver Kahn?

• Rummenigge: does not want to be a better-minded
• Rummenigge: Nagelsmann has the "FC-Bayern style"
• Rummenigge defends expensive extensions at Bayern

Mr Rummenigge, for seven months, you are no longer CEO of FC Bayern Munich. Was there withdrawal symptoms at any time?

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge: My life has changed course. It is less exciting, stress-free. When I stopped mid last year, I went to my favorite Island Sylt for eight weeks to counteract potential withdrawal symptoms. That was a good recipe. The summer there was extremely beautiful. And since I have a very big family who visited us peu à peu, it has turned out to be a really good decision.

And now?

Of course, I follow the football. I also follow the FC Bayern, look at every game, but more relaxed. I'm still emotional, but everything on a plane, so I'm not so exciting. I decided to self-determined that I would like to cease a little earlier as a member of the board than planned. I felt that it was the better time to stop in summer and thus leave my successor to the responsibility for the entire season and not only for half.

They stood 20 years at the top of Bayern. Can you understand the abrupt withdrawal of Managing Director Max Eberl at Borussia Mönchengladbach from your experiences? Has the pressure on the decision makers in football - in Corona times - increased again?

The pressure in football was and is always big. Corona has caused financial damages. And that has consequences for board members or Bayern Munichs directors. You have to deal with it. They must be very prudent on the transfer market, especially in salaries, in dealing with consultants and players who still do not want to accept that the market has changed, especially in Germany. In the 20 years I did not only experience sunshine at Bayern Munich. You have to have a thick coat in this business. Uli Hoeneß and I have always radiated the outward. But I already know what it means when you lost a game on Saturday in the Bundesliga. Then the weekend was over.

You have made your successor Oliver Kahn a little earlier as you said. What do you think: how does he want to do the FC Bayern? He will hardly only want to continue your course, right?

If you start new, you have to modernize things a bit wide and re-align without giving up the proven. That's probably the most important task that Oliver has. We look back for ten years, which were incredibly successful for Bayern Munich - athletic and financially. We were a role model in European football. To keep this position - especially by corona - more difficult. But also through the society that has changed and may have become more critical to football.

What are you up to?

I realize that fan groups by critical dealing with football. This has not only felt that at Bayern Munich at the recent annual general meeting. We are at a point where you have to discuss seriously: Quo Vadis German football? It is of course great for FC Bayern, if he will probably become German champion for the tenth time. But for the topic emotion in football and in the Bundesliga this is not good again. I recommend a look over the limits, for example to England. We have tried in Germany for years to beat some things. This inevitably leads to problems, nationally and internationally.

Rummenigge: does not want to be a better-minded

Do you continue to exchange with Oliver Kahn?

I do not want to stand as a know-worse and give it advice. We have a respectful and good relationship. He has to go his way. This will also belong to make mistakes, and you have to admit that in case of doubt.

The Champions League starts in the K.O. Phase. Of the 16 clubs in the secondary finals, four from England, three from Spain, two from Italy, France and even Portugal - but only one from Germany. Is that a snapshot or more?

Both. Last year, all four Bundesliga clubs were in the secondary final. But it is a negative trend recognizable. We can talk to us the Europa League with four German participants. But the great football takes place in the Champions League. There is only Bayern Munich here - and hopefully long.

What are the reasons for the downward trend?

The reasons are always in the factor quality. And he also has to do with finances. I have to say: The Dortmund in the Champions League was a surprise for me. The group with Ajax Amsterdam, Bayern Muniching Lisbon and Besiktas Istanbul seemed to me feasible. It was clear, however, from the beginning that it would have the VFL Wolfsburg and especially Leipzig, in a group with the two large Calibers Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City, would have difficult.

Who is your favorite on the title win?

The best group phase has played Bayern Munich with again six wins. The team works well. Nevertheless, that does not mean yet. In the Champions League you have to think completely in the K.O.-System. You have to take care of every game super focused, to have a little luck. Everything must fit, as in our title win 2020. Everything fit to the point. The team was cupitized, her character outstanding. And Hansi Flick had prepared the final tournament in Lisbon world-class. One year ago, on the other hand, at the out of Paris Saint-Germain, we had the bad luck that previously the world-moving international match Poland against Andorra had taken place, in which Robert Lewandowski has hurt. Then missed against PSG more injured actors such as Serge Gnabry, Niklas Sule and in the second leg Leon Goretzka. So everything has to fit. In addition, I recommend humility. All clubs in the secondary finals have not accidentally qualified.

Rummenigge: Nagelsmann has the "FC-Bayern style"

humility probably suits well to the Bayern opponent Red Bull Salzburg, right? A progress is considered compulsory task.

Of course, Bayern Munich is the big favorite. But Salzburg has prevailed as a senior to a club like the FC Seville. I recommend, be very respectful to deal with Salzburg. Of course, Bayern Munich will move into the quarterfinals. But I say advance: Bayern Munich will not occur arrogant, not with these players and not with this coach.

Robert Lewandowski, the currently injured goalkeeper and Captain Manuel new and Thomas Müller continue to be the leader in Bayern. The discovery of the previous season is a moody Leroy Sané. Now follows him in the K.O. Phase of the Champions League the maturity exam to the European TopStar?

When we committed Leroy 2020, we have a lot of faith and a lot of money invested in him. He may need the first year. Not so much because of his cruciate ligament injury before. He had a little out of his convenience. What happened at the beginning of this season, with the whistles of the fans, the criticism of the experts, was helpful. This was obviously a wake up call for him after the motto: 'I have to change things, and the expectations of the club and the talent, which laid the love of God in the cradle, also fulfill.' Now he fulfills her. The whole club is Happy, he's happy. He has become a different player. He participates very different at the game. He often led a wallflower sate in the last season on the right. Now he wants to have the ball. He is not only fast and dangerous, he is also running strong and helps in the defensive.

is Julian Nagelsmann despite his only 34 years already a coach, the Champions League winning format possesses Jürgen Klopp (FC Liverpool), Hansi Flick (Bayern Munich) and Thomas Tuchel (FC Chelsea), the German winners in the past three Seasons?

I have a positive impression of Julian Nagelsmann. He had to come into very large footsteps, who left Hansi with seven titles in 14 months. He did not irritate themselves. He has the FC-Bavaria style, which has existed since Louis Van Gaal, a bit adapted to his philosophy. And our team demands just about a coach.

Rummenigge defends expensive extensions at Bayern

FC Bayern is not spotted despite corona losses. If you look at the recent contract extensions with Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka or Kingsley Coman, then the salaries of the stars will know only one direction - upwards.

Counter question: What would the alternative have been? Do not agree with the players and then lose them? That can not be the solution. The club has focused on extending with the players he absolutely needs. And the market is the way he is. This is a problem for everyone, also for Bayern Munich.

Is the Super League project, which was aimed by combining clubs like Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and Juventus Turin, from the table? Or is it just temporarily disappeared in the drawer?

The Super League was due to financial problems. The whole topic has taught the impression from the beginning that someone has brought together under great time pressure with a hot needle. It is no coincidence that in particular the Spanish and Italian clubs that were the biggest financial distress. The topic is from the table. There will never be a privately organized superleague again. The benchmark in club football is the Champions League. The founders were the greatest visionary for me.

The German Football Association and the German Football League are currently recurring personal in personnel. What do you trust the new DLL managing director Donata Hops and Dortmund-Boss Hans-Joachim Watzke as a supervisory board of the league? What are your most pressing tasks?

I do not know Mrs. Hops yet personally. She has big footsteps in front of her Christian Seifert. He has made the job top, especially in times of Corona. Aki (Watzke) in turn is a smooth, experienced manager in football. The most important task - not only of the two, but the Bundesliga - will be to be worried, to ensure the international competitiveness of German associations and at the same time bring about more national competition. For both you need money. A redistribution from top to bottom the Bundesliga in the top rather weaknesses as strengths. Therefore, the 50 + 1- rule my approach is another other than many other protagonists in the league.

Bayern Munich and she pleads for an opening of the Bundesliga clubs for investors?

If you look at the development of English football, or the development of Paris Saint-Germain: Where did these clubs agreed ten, 15, 20 years ago? Where are you today? They are all much more competitive. Manchester City was only third-class at the millennium turn!

CUR Person: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, born on September 25, 1955 in Lippstadt, was from 2002 to mid 2021 CEO of FC Bayern München AG. Previously, he was Vice President. In his term of office, the triple gains fell in 2013 and 2020. As a world-class urge, he won several titles with FC Bayern in his professional career. He also played for Inter Milan and Servette Geneva. With Germany he became twice WM-Second (1982, 1986) and 1980 European Champion.