Rummenigge: Bayern football philosophy continues to this day, speed and team are the key to winning

Hupu reported on September 25 that he wrote history with Bayern Munich as a player and manager. On the occasion of his 70th birthday, Carl Heinz Rummeniger accepted an exclusive interview with the club member magazine "51", talking about Bayern's DNA, the value of debate culture, and the philosophy of fighting for an inch of land at the negotiating table.

The following is the first part:

Mr. Ruménig, first of all, I wish you a happy birthday! Let's go back to your player days. If you are still playing football today, can you gain a foothold at the top level?

"The talents God has given me - speed, dribbling, scoring ability - are still popular today. The coach Detmar Cramer of that year worked with me very carefully to polish these abilities, and I have always been grateful to him. So I think the answer is: Yes, I may still be able to keep up."

If you were asked to join a team like Manchester City or Bayern today, what role would you play?

"First of all, I have to say: there is no other team, only Bayern! (laughs) Although I also played for Inter Milan and finally played in Geneva, Bayern has always been my heart. Tactical I am usually a shadow striker, with a traditional center in front of me - when I was at Bayern, it was Ged Muller or Dieter Henes, and in the national team it was Klaus Fischer or Horst Lubusch. I like this role of inserting from the midfield and playing to my own advantages, which is also the first choice today."

The tactics back then were completely different from today, right?

"At that time, it was strict people-to-people. The principle of the defenders was: follow your opponent to the toilet during the halftime. The opponent could step on your feet for 90 minutes, such as Karl Heinz Foster or Hans Peter Briggle, that 'Palatinate roller'. They were not easy to deal with. Today is the regional defense, which opened up space for creative players like Mushara or Olisse. They could move in different regions and show completely different abilities."

In your opinion, how can you be a complete striker now?

"As in the past, there must be speed. In the past, we had typical organizational cores, but now there are almost no one. What we need now is fast and vertical pass cooperation. Taking the Bayern era of Ribery and Robben as an example, we are very efficient: Alaba passes to the wing, and Ribery or Robben will make a breakthrough one-on-one breakthrough, and there will be a threat immediately. At that time, even a giant like Barcelona would have a headache. This is the DNA that Bayern still retains to this day."

Bayern's game philosophy gradually formed at that time?

"Yes. Interestingly, the right winger used to be a right foot player, the left winger was a left foot player. And today it was almost the opposite, which was introduced by Van Gaal at Bayern. The former winger's duty was to cross along the sideline, with Ged Muller waiting in the middle. Today they would cut in, dribble, shoot or assist. Olisse is already one of the best players in Europe in my opinion, and he has everything we need: fast, pass, and score goals. The same is true for Louis Dias."

If you partner with Mushara at No. 10, there are Ribery, Robben, Olisse or Dias on the side, and Kane is ahead. Can such a combination succeed?

"This will definitely make me very happy (laugh). At that time, under coaches like Cramer or Pal Chernai, we did not play dominant football, but instead contracted appropriately to fight back. It was often Paul Breitner who came to me the first time he got the ball. If I took the lead for half a meter, almost no one would catch up. The defenders were really uncomfortable at that time."

What things did you learn in your career that would help you in your life?

"As a player, you have to play a role in the team, and you also have to go your own path and make decisions. This has helped me a lot in the negotiations later. You have to stick to your position and not be afraid of conflict. Today, there is almost no culture of argument in the whole society. My friend Heness will be attacked immediately when he says something criticized. We need to be honest and outspoken - things will change only by telling the truth."