In an interview, Rudi Völler revealed what the biggest challenge was in his time in football, what two things he envies today’s players and how he feels about his nickname and a very special song about him.
Völler will retire as managing director of Bayer Leverkusen after this season. When asked what the biggest challenge in his career was, the former team boss of the German national team told the Süddeutsche Zeitung: “The relegation games against Ukraine for the 2002 World Cup. Never in my life before and after have I felt so much pressure as in the weeks leading up to the games.”
And further: “When we barely got over the halfway line in the first twenty minutes of the first leg in Kyiv, I said to Michael Skibbe: We might have to emigrate, I’m going to Melbourne.”
Legend Völler: Top 10 of the youngest BL three-packers
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10th place: Rudi Völler (1860 Munich), 1860 Munich against Fortuna Düsseldorf (4: 3) on October 25, 1980 (20 years, 195 days) © DPA pa
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9th place: Peter Reichert (VfB Stuttgart), VfB Stuttgart against Kaiserslautern (4:0) on February 6th, 1982 (20 years, 186 days) © DPA pa
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8th place: Aaron Hunt (Werder Bremen), Werder Bremen versus Bochum (3-0) on March 3rd, 2007 (20 years, 180 days) © DPA pa
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7th place: Branimir Hrgota (Gladbach), Mainz 05 against Gladbach (2: 4) on May 11, 2013 (20 years, 119 days) © DPA pa
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6th place: Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), SC Paderborn versus Borussia Dortmund (1: 6) on May 31, 2020 (20 years, 67 days) © DPA pa
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5th place: Rainer Budde (MSV Duisburg), MSV Duisburg against 1. FC Kaiserslautern (7:0) on April 6th, 1968 (19 years, 341 days) © DPA pa
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4th place: Klaus Fischer (1860 Munich), Eintracht Frankfurt against TSV 1860 Munich (4: 3) on November 1st, 1969 (19 years, 309 days) © DPA pa
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3rd place: Matthew Hoppe (Schalke 04), Schalke 04 against TSG Hoffenheim (4: 0) on January 9th, 2021 (19 years, 302 days) © DPA pa
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2nd place: Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund), FC Augsburg versus Borussia Dortmund (3: 5) on January 18th, 2020 (19 years, 181 days) © DPA pa
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1st place: Walter Bechtold (Eintracht Frankfurt), Borussia Neunkirchen against Eintracht Frankfurt (1: 6) on November 20th, 1965 (18 years, 118 days) © DPA pa
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The 62-year-old also revealed: “There are only two things that I envy the players today: Not the money. But the grass they are allowed to play on. What kind of fields we played on back then.”
The second point is: “You wouldn’t believe how I used to get kicked. When I started playing in the second division – my first girlfriend had to put ice packs on my knees, ankles and after every game and even after training lay your shins. The referees let everything go.”
In addition, the man from Hanau went into his nickname “Tante Käthe”: “That wasn’t a problem. But this song ‘There is only one’ Rudi Völler’ was tough. In 2002, after our second place at the World Cup, it was the worst.”
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