Rolf Rüssmann facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Rolf Rüssmann | ||
| Date of birth | 13 October 1950 | ||
| Place of birth | Schwelm, West Germany | ||
| Date of death | 2 October 2009 (aged 58) | ||
| Place of death | Steinhagen, Germany | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1962–1969 | FC Schwelm 06 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1969–1973 | FC Schalke 04 | 105 | (10) |
| 1973 | Club Brugge | 11 | (0) |
| 1974–1980 | FC Schalke 04 | 199 | (20) |
| 1980–1985 | Borussia Dortmund | 149 | (18) |
| Total | 464 | (48) | |
| National team | |||
| 1977–1978 | West Germany | 20 | (1) |
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Rolf Rüssmann (born October 13, 1950 – died October 2, 2009) was a German footballer. He played as a defender for several big clubs. These included FC Schalke 04, Club Brugge, and Borussia Dortmund. He also played for the West Germany national team.
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Rolf Rüssmann's Playing Career
In 1969, Rolf Rüssmann joined FC Schalke 04. He was a promising young defender. He won the German Cup with Schalke in 1972. This was a big achievement early in his career.
However, his career faced a challenge in 1973. He was temporarily banned from playing in the German league. This was because of an issue related to a match in 1971. During this ban, he played for Club Brugge in Belgium. He played 11 matches there.
After his ban ended, Rüssmann returned to FC Schalke 04. He stayed with the club until December 1980. He then moved to their rival team, Borussia Dortmund. He played for Dortmund until he retired in 1985. In total, he played 453 matches in the Bundesliga and scored 48 goals. He was one of the players with the most appearances in the Bundesliga.
Playing for West Germany
Rolf Rüssmann was a respected youth player for West Germany. He was almost called up to the national team in 1971. However, the issue from the 1971 match delayed his debut.
Six years later, in April 1977, he finally made his debut for West Germany. This was in a friendly game against Yugoslavia. His strong performances helped him get more call-ups. He earned a spot in the 1978 FIFA World Cup squad. He played in all six matches at the World Cup. In total, Rüssmann played 20 games for his country and scored one goal. That goal was the winning goal against the Soviet Union.
Awards and Achievements
Rolf Rüssmann achieved some notable successes during his playing career:
- DFB-Pokal: Winner in the 1971–72 season.
- Bundesliga: Runner-up in the 1971–72 and 1976–77 seasons.
Life After Playing Football
After retiring as a player, Rolf Rüssmann became a general manager in the Bundesliga.
- In 1987, he returned to FC Schalke 04 as their general manager.
- In 1990, he joined Borussia Mönchengladbach. He first worked as an assistant. Later, he became the general manager there. He left the club in 1998.
- From 2001 to 2002, he was the general manager for VfB Stuttgart.
His Passing
Rolf Rüssmann passed away on October 2, 2009. He was almost 59 years old.
