#DankeRudi – Rummenigge: ‘Rudi is the face of Bayer 04’

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, former Germany teammate and long-standing chairman of the board at Bayern Munich, reveals how Rudi Völler works as a managing director and also his importance for the public perception of his club:

"Rudi Völler has succeeded in leaving his mark as a manager in football. He has superbly mastered his second career as sporting director and sporting managing director. There is no study course for that but the wealth of experience from his long playing career was a perfect base to set him up for the new challenges. Rudi has been challenged much more in management positions than was previously the case – even for him as a top player. He definitely knows how to face the media even when things aren't going so well on the pitch. And his decisions in the transfer market with top signings and often very worthwhile transfers out have mostly worked out perfectly. From my own experience, a club boss is ultimately measured by how his team performs on the pitch. The fact Rudi has never been challenged shows how well he's done his job in spite of the increasing demands.

He has been much more for the club than a sporting director or more recently as a managing director. There have been a lot of good people in the club and there still are but the face of Bayer 04 Leverkusen is Rudi Völler. Whenever we met up before games at lunch it was always striking how well Rudi got on with his colleagues. Bayern against Bayer – we've had some big battles but when Rudi entered the room there was immediately a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere. Rudi is simply a great personality and has an enormously positive charisma. That's why he is so incredibly popular amongst the population.

Whenever we stood together for the interests of our clubs, Rudi was always a representative of real football while other clubs integrated more and more finance people. He doesn't think about how to earn the next Euro. He is pro football and not always pro finance or pro marketing, which can damage our sport. It's a sign of his strength that he has made the decision to stop now. Rudi Völler can again leave the pitch with his head held and with pride just like he did after his playing career."

#DankeRudi – Part IV: Holzhäuser: ‘He was my best signing’

#DankeRudi – Part III: Ballack: ‘Rudi knew exactly what made players tick’

#DankeRudi – Part II: Calmund: ‘Where would Bayer 04 be without Rudi Völler?’

#DankeRudi – Part I: Hermann: ‘A slick operator full of ambition’