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Karl-Heinz Rummenigge played for Inter from 1984 to 1987
Photo: HORSTMUELLER GmbH / imago images/Horstmüller
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was inducted into the Hall of Fame of Italian football by association president Gabriele Gravina at a ceremony in the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence.
The former national player, two-time "European Footballer of the Year" (1980 and 1981) and long-time CEO of FC Bayern Munich is the first German to receive this honor from the Italian association.
»It is a very special honor for me to be inducted into the Italian Hall of Fame here in Florence.
This award shows the special relationship I've always had with Inter, with Italy and with the Italian fans," said Rummenigge on Monday.
»It was a special time for me and my family, which I look back on with a lot of gratitude.«
In line with Platini and Maradona
The Hall of Fame has existed since 2011. Before the 66-year-old Rummenigge, stars such as Michel Platini, Diego Maradona and Marco van Basten had already been honored in the "Foreign Players" category.
In addition to Rummenigge, Andrea Pirlo, Alessandro Nesta, Antonio Conte and Zbigniew Boniek, among others, received new awards.
Rummenigge, European champion in 1980 and two-time World Cup runner-up (1982, 1986), played three seasons at Inter Milan from 1984 to 1987.
When he was signed, Inter had paid eleven million Deutschmarks to FC Bayern, only Diego Maradona had cost a higher transfer fee at the time.
In 1987 Rummenigge moved to Switzerland to join Servette Geneva, where he ended his career in 1989.
Untitled at Inter
Rummenigge played 95 times for the German national team and scored 45 goals.
With 162 goals in 310 games at FC Bayern, he is still the third-best goalscorer in Bundesliga history behind Gerd Müller and Robert Lewandowski.
In 1975 and 1976 he had won the European Cup with the club, during his time at Inter he remained untitled under coach Giovanni Trapattoni, among others.
mfu/dpa
