An extraordinary honour for Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (69): On Thursday, at the suggestion of UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin and the executive committee, the UEFA Congress made him an honorary life member of UEFA. It's one of the highest honours bestowed by European football's governing body.
Rummenigge is one of the few personalities to have been awarded this special honorary membership under Čeferin's presidency and the first German since DFB (German FA) president Egidius Braun and former UEFA general secretary Gerhard Aigner, who have both passed away.
UEFA honorary membership is bestowed on people who have made an outstanding contribution to European football. It is awarded at the request of the president and the executive committee and enables the honorary member to retain the privileges of the UEFA executive committee and to continue to attend meetings - albeit without voting rights. Honorary presidents and honorary members may attend UEFA Congresses in an advisory capacity.
"It's a special honour and recognition"
Rummenigge was visibly moved: "It's a special honour and a great recognition to receive this award. I would like to expressly thank UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin and the executive committee. European football has shaped my whole life and I'm delighted to be able to continue making my contribution. UEFA is in good hands with Aleksander Čeferin."
In addition to Rummenigge, former Swedish referee and long-standing UEFA vice-president Karl-Erik Nilsson and former Manchester United CEO David Gill were made honorary members.
Rummenigge: "I would like to take this opportunity to thank football itself. It's a wonderful game, I've learnt a lot from it, gained a lot of experience and made a lot of friends. Football has been with me my whole life, I have been in its service for 50 years and owe it a great deal."
An important advisor
UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin also recognised the former world-class striker's achievements when he left the UEFA executive committee: "What you did, you did for the good of football. Football loves you," said Čeferin, who also stressed that he would continue to rely on Rummenigge's advice: "We still need you. We need your wisdom, we will always need it."
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was a member of the UEFA executive committee from April 2021 to February 2024 as a representative of the ECA club association. He had already been a member of this body from 2016 to 2017. From 2008 to 2017, Rummenigge was also chairman of the ECA, of which he is honorary president. The award of this further honour recognises his many years of commitment and his services to European football. Rummenigge has been particularly active recently, especially with regard to the debate on salary caps in European football.
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