Overview

• Rummenigge recalls the early‑1990s slump as Bayern’s worst in his experience, citing a fall to around 12th–13th in the table and an early UEFA Cup exit to Copenhagen, with one matchday briefly placing the team near the relegation zone before a turnaround at Stuttgarter Kickers.
• He says lessons from that period drove an overhaul with Franz Beckenbauer that stabilized sporting structures and, later, the 2002 spin‑off of the pro team into an AG to finance the Allianz Arena as he became CEO.
• He describes leading the founding of the European Club Association, leveraging an international network to raise club influence at UEFA and FIFA, and he endorses Jan‑Christian Dreesen’s work as ECA vice president representing Bayern and the Bundesliga.
• He shares formative stories from his youth at Bayern, including a stern Huelva episode under manager Robert Schwan and intensive one‑on‑one technique sessions with Dettmar Cramer that pushed him through a demanding “hard school.”
• He views Thomas Müller’s move to Canada as the right choice for growth and says a leadership role at Bayern could be a valuable path if Müller returns and seeks it.