‘Gave German football a face’ – Uli Hoeneß presented with DFL honorary award

On Tuesday evening, Uli Hoeneß joined the ranks of the German Football League (DFL) honorary award recipients. The honorary president of FC Bayern was presented with the prestigious award on the eve of the DFL general assembly in Berlin. With this honorary award, the DFL recognises notable and exceptional achievements in and around German professional football.

Hoeneß's long-time companion Rainer Bonhof delivered a very emotional eulogy on Tuesday evening. “You captivated millions and gave German football a face,” said the 1974 World Cup winner about a visibly moved Hoeneß. “I am proud to receive this award. It's an acknowledgement that I have also tried to give something back to German football over the past 50 years. But football also gave me everything," said the recipient.

As a player, Hoeneß won the World Cup and European Championship with the German national team. With FC Bayern, he won the European Cup and the German Championship three times each, as well as the Intercontinental Cup and the DFB Cup once each. In 1979, at the age of just 27, Hoeneß took over as general manager of FC Bayern and over the following decades led the club to become one of the most successful in the world, both in sporting and financial terms. In his early years as manager, Hoeneß was already regarded as a visionary and driving force in the Bundesliga, both in terms of sport and in the areas of TV and merchandising. He was president of FC Bayern München e.V. and chairman of the supervisory board of the AG between 2009 and 2014 and 2016 and 2019. As the driving force behind the scenes, Hoeneß celebrated well over 50 titles with the professional footballers of FC Bayern, including two Champions League triumphs, the Intercontinental Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.