A great honour for Karl-Heinz Rummenigge: the European Club Association (ECA) has named its award for excellent achievements in club management after the former world-class footballer and long-time CEO of FC Bayern. It's the first time in the history of the ECA that an individual has been honoured in this way. From now on, the 'Karl-Heinz Rummenigge Award' will be given to recognise outstanding work in football club management, as the association announced on Tuesday.
Rummenigge was the founder and, from 2008 to 2017, the first chairman of the ECA. European football changed under his leadership, and it's always been important to Rummenigge to give all clubs a voice. "I feel deeply honoured that this award is being named after me, especially since the topic of club management is of vital importance to football," said the 69-year-old. "Developing football clubs into sustainably managed institutions is one of the most important tasks of our time, and it really does humble me that this legacy will continue through this award."
Rummenigge laid the foundations for ECA
“I am delighted that we are recognising again the remarkable achievements of the first leader of ECA and now honorary chairman, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, in this way," said ECA chairman Nasser al-Khelaïfi. "He laid the foundations for the ECA 16 years ago and thus for everything we have achieved today." In a statement, the club association also praised Rummenigge as "a pivotal figure in shaping the modern European football landscape... His influence on ECA and the European football community remains a driving force behind this award."
Ground-breaking reforms in European football during Rummenigge's tenure include pioneering reforms to the international match calendar to better protect clubs’ interests, the introduction of the first insurance programmes for players on international duty, as well as the securing of funding from major international tournaments such as the UEFA European Championship and FIFA World Cup to benefit clubs. "As the first ECA leader to establish a collaborative partnership with UEFA, Karl-Heinz laid the groundwork for a stronger, more unified European football ecosystem," continued the ECA statement. "His strategic vision empowered clubs to think bigger, act stronger, and stand together in the pursuit of excellence. Under his leadership, ECA grew from 137 to 236 member clubs, a testament to the enduring influence of his vision." Today, 717 clubs are part of the association and Rummenigge has been honorary chairman of the ECA since 2017. FC Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen is the current vice chairman.
Award for outstanding leadership
The Karl-Heinz Rummenigge Award recognises exceptional governance, innovation and operational excellence that drives club success and strengthens community impact. In its inaugural year, the prize was awarded at the ECA’s General Assembly last week in Athens, Greece to VfL Bochum in recognition of its visionary 'Advisory Board of the Future' initiative.
Rummenigge is one of the best strikers of all time in world football. The former Bayern and Germany captain twice won the Ballon d'Or as Europe's best footballer. His successes with the Reds include the European Cup triumph and several Bundesliga titles. With the national team, Rummenigge became a European champion in 1980 and a World Cup runner-up in both 1982 and 1986. After his playing career, he returned to Bayern in 1991 initially as vice president, and then led the way as CEO from 2002 to 2021. He remains a member of the German record champions' supervisory board.
More information on the ECA General Assembly in Athens:
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