Rolf Rüssmann
Encyclopedia
Rolf Rüssmann was a German
international footballer who played as a defender
for FC Schalke 04
, Club Brugge
and Borussia Dortmund
.
paid FC Schwelm 06 38,000 Deutsche Mark to sign promising stopper Rolf Rüssmann, who did not enjoy the best of starts at the Gelsenkirchen
-based outfit under Rudi Gutendorf
, but then gained more regular appearances for the club and seemed destined for a successful career. A German Cup
winner with FC Schalke 04
in 1972 his career was brought to a halt after evidence proved Rüssmann was one of those players of FC Schalke 04 that got bribed by Arminia Bielefeld
for fixing the result of a head-to-head Bundesliga match of both clubs on 17 April 1971, for the benefit of Bielefeld. Initially Rüssmann (among other Schalke players) had controverted those claims. Rüßmann was one of the crop of players that committed perjury in the affair and got, as a consequence, punished with a fine by a court in 1975. In 1973 (and shortly in the course of the 1976–1977 season) Rüssmann was banned temporarily from club action by the German Football Association
, but given the allowance for appearances in foreign leagues. So he left FC Schalke 04
in 1973 to see out his Bundesliga ban with Belgian outfit Club Brugge
(11 matches, 0 goals). Returning to Schalke afterwards, Rüssmann stayed on with the club until December 1980. Cash-strapped, Schalke had to sell him to arch-rival side Borussia Dortmund
at that time with Rüßmann staying on at Westfalenstadion
until he retired in 1985 after 43 goals in 453 Bundesliga
matches.
A respected youth international for West Germany, Rüssmann was already on the verge of a West Germany debut in 1971, but then saw his hopes ruined by his role in the match fixing Bundesligaskandal
. Six years after the scandal, he was enjoying a bright season with his club and the German Football Association
had eased their restrictions concerning players involved in the scandal (see Klaus Fischer
) in the meantime, Rüssmann was re-called by Helmut Schön
to debut for the West Germans in a friendly win against Yugoslavia
. Steady performances lead to more call-up's and regular caps resulted in Rüssmann earning a spot in the 1978 FIFA World Cup
squad of West Germany. He came to action in all six matches, but after their (early) elimination he did feature just one more time for his nation in the rest of his career. In total Rüssmann won 20 caps, scoring one goal (winning goal versus the Soviet Union).
as an off-pitch authority and was general-manager of the club from 25 February to 10 August 1987. With Borussia Mönchengladbach
's veteran general-manager Helmut Grashoff looking for a successor, Rüssmann started to work as assistant to Grashoff at Mönchengladbach in April 1990 and got Grashoff's replacement later on. On 8 July 1992, Rüssmann was sacked by Mönchengladbach, but re-appointed by the club in September 1992 due to a change of view inside the Mönchengladbach presidium. On 10 November 1998, Rüßmann was finally out of the door at Mönchengladbach following a complete change of environment caused by an ongoing desasterous run of results in the Bundesliga
since 1996. From 1 February 2001, Rüssmann was general-manager of Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart
, getting the sack by Die Schwaben in December 2002.
less than two weeks before he would have turned 59.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
international footballer who played as a defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
for FC Schalke 04
FC Schalke 04
Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major...
, Club Brugge
Club Brugge
Club Brugge Koninklijke Voetbalvereniging is a football club from Bruges in Belgium. It was founded in 1891 and is one of the top clubs in Belgium. Its home ground is the Jan Breydel Stadium, which has a capacity of 29,472....
and Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...
.
Player bio
In 1969 FC Schalke 04FC Schalke 04
Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major...
paid FC Schwelm 06 38,000 Deutsche Mark to sign promising stopper Rolf Rüssmann, who did not enjoy the best of starts at the Gelsenkirchen
Gelsenkirchen
Gelsenkirchen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the Ruhr area. Its population in 2006 was c. 267,000....
-based outfit under Rudi Gutendorf
Rudi Gutendorf
Rudolf "Rudi" Gutendorf is a German football manager, renowned for managing the highest number of national teams – to date a total of 18 teams.- Career :...
, but then gained more regular appearances for the club and seemed destined for a successful career. A German Cup
DFB-Pokal
The DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga...
winner with FC Schalke 04
FC Schalke 04
Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major...
in 1972 his career was brought to a halt after evidence proved Rüssmann was one of those players of FC Schalke 04 that got bribed by Arminia Bielefeld
Arminia Bielefeld
DSC Arminia Bielefeld is a German sports club from Bielefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia. Arminia offers the sports of football, field hockey, figure skating and cue sports. The club has 11,394 members and the club colours are black, white and blue...
for fixing the result of a head-to-head Bundesliga match of both clubs on 17 April 1971, for the benefit of Bielefeld. Initially Rüssmann (among other Schalke players) had controverted those claims. Rüßmann was one of the crop of players that committed perjury in the affair and got, as a consequence, punished with a fine by a court in 1975. In 1973 (and shortly in the course of the 1976–1977 season) Rüssmann was banned temporarily from club action by the German Football Association
German Football Association
The German Football Association is the governing body of football in Germany. A founding member of both FIFA and UEFA, the DFB organises the German football leagues, including the national league, the Bundesliga, and the men's and women's national teams. The DFB is based in Frankfurt and is...
, but given the allowance for appearances in foreign leagues. So he left FC Schalke 04
FC Schalke 04
Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major...
in 1973 to see out his Bundesliga ban with Belgian outfit Club Brugge
Club Brugge
Club Brugge Koninklijke Voetbalvereniging is a football club from Bruges in Belgium. It was founded in 1891 and is one of the top clubs in Belgium. Its home ground is the Jan Breydel Stadium, which has a capacity of 29,472....
(11 matches, 0 goals). Returning to Schalke afterwards, Rüssmann stayed on with the club until December 1980. Cash-strapped, Schalke had to sell him to arch-rival side Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...
at that time with Rüßmann staying on at Westfalenstadion
Westfalenstadion
Westfalenstadion is an association football stadium in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the home stadium of the Borussia Dortmund football team playing in the German Bundesliga....
until he retired in 1985 after 43 goals in 453 Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
matches.
A respected youth international for West Germany, Rüssmann was already on the verge of a West Germany debut in 1971, but then saw his hopes ruined by his role in the match fixing Bundesligaskandal
Bundesliga scandal (1971)
Bundesliga scandal refers to the malicious, for-profit manipulation of games in the 1970–71 German soccer championship season.- History :...
. Six years after the scandal, he was enjoying a bright season with his club and the German Football Association
German Football Association
The German Football Association is the governing body of football in Germany. A founding member of both FIFA and UEFA, the DFB organises the German football leagues, including the national league, the Bundesliga, and the men's and women's national teams. The DFB is based in Frankfurt and is...
had eased their restrictions concerning players involved in the scandal (see Klaus Fischer
Klaus Fischer
Klaus Fischer is a German former football player and coach.-Career:Fischer was born in Kreuzstraßl, near Lindberg in the district of Regen....
) in the meantime, Rüssmann was re-called by Helmut Schön
Helmut Schön
Helmut Schön was a German football player and manager. He is best remembered for his exceptional career as manager of West Germany....
to debut for the West Germans in a friendly win against Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia national football team
The Yugoslavia national football team represented the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in association football. It enjoyed a modicum of success in international competition. In 1992, during the Yugoslav wars, the team was suspended from international...
. Steady performances lead to more call-up's and regular caps resulted in Rüssmann earning a spot in the 1978 FIFA World Cup
1978 FIFA World Cup
The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Argentina between 1 June and 25 June. The 1978 World Cup was won by Argentina who beat the Netherlands 3–1 after extra time in the final. This win was the first World Cup title for Argentina, who became the fifth...
squad of West Germany. He came to action in all six matches, but after their (early) elimination he did feature just one more time for his nation in the rest of his career. In total Rüssmann won 20 caps, scoring one goal (winning goal versus the Soviet Union).
General manager in the Bundesliga
In 1987 Rüssmann returned to FC Schalke 04FC Schalke 04
Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major...
as an off-pitch authority and was general-manager of the club from 25 February to 10 August 1987. With Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach is a German association football club based in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia. The team plays in the Bundesliga and is one of the country's most well-known, well-supported, and successful teams. Borussia Mönchengladbach has over 40,000 members and is the sixth...
's veteran general-manager Helmut Grashoff looking for a successor, Rüssmann started to work as assistant to Grashoff at Mönchengladbach in April 1990 and got Grashoff's replacement later on. On 8 July 1992, Rüssmann was sacked by Mönchengladbach, but re-appointed by the club in September 1992 due to a change of view inside the Mönchengladbach presidium. On 10 November 1998, Rüßmann was finally out of the door at Mönchengladbach following a complete change of environment caused by an ongoing desasterous run of results in the Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
since 1996. From 1 February 2001, Rüssmann was general-manager of Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart
VfB Stuttgart
Verein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V., commonly known as VfB Stuttgart, is a German sports club based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. The club is best known for its football team, which has participated in all but two Bundesliga seasons...
, getting the sack by Die Schwaben in December 2002.
Death
He died on 2 October 2009 from prostate cancerProstate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
less than two weeks before he would have turned 59.