As a player, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge won two European Cups, two Bundesliga titles, two DFB-Pokal cups, and finished runner-up with West Germany in back-to-back World Cup tournaments in the 1980s. For three
decades, the Bayern legend served as a executive or board member for Bayern Munich. In 1984, Rummenigge’s record transfer potentially saved Bayern from financial ruin.
Fast forward to 2021, Rummenigge was ready to step away from his CEO position and was replaced by another Bayern icon, Oliver Kahn. After two short years, Rummenigge was asked to return as the club’s supervisory board.
“When I stepped down (in 2021), the sun was shining brightly. We had won seven titles, and the finances were fine despite the COVID pandemic,” said Rummenigge (via @iMiaSanMia). “After that, we spent a bit too much money, and we have to be self-critical about that. When I came back two years ago, I was honestly a bit shocked when I looked at the finances and said, “Guys, if we keep going like this, we’re going to run into financial trouble.”
Since winning the sextuple in 2020, Bayern struggled mightily with consistency in the management and locker room. Now that Rummenigge is back in the fold, he added that “our new philosophy also includes cost-cutting. We musn’t make the mistake of letting the English dictate the transfer market. And for that matter, not the media either. We have our DNA, and you can’t buy it. We won’t go along with this madness.”
Bayern fans seem divided on the club’s current strategy. Bayern has relied on a small number of players with bloated salaries. Between fatigue and injuries in a year-round calendar of play, Bayern has expectedly struggled to win titles outside of the Bundesliga itself.
