ZDF documentary charges ex-Bayern boss Rummenigge for Rolex watches from Qatar

Created: 2022-11-09 2:03 p.m

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was once caught with two duty-unpaid Rolex watches after a meeting in Qatar.

A ZDF documentary incriminates the former Bayern official.

Munich – On November 20th the time has come.

Then the opening game of the World Cup in Qatar between the hosts and Ecuador will take place.

In the run-up to the tournament, the ZDF documentary “Geheimsache Qatar” now provides explosive insights into the country, the awarding process and the time afterwards.

Ex-Bayern boss Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is also heavily burdened, as reported by tz.de.

The European Club Association met exceptionally in Qatar in 2013 - Rummenigge was the head of the ECA at the time

A look back: The European top leagues initially did not want to take part in the transfer of the World Cup to winter.

So Qatar needed powerful supporters.

The country invited them in February 2013: As an exception, the European Club Association (ECA), the association of the most important European top clubs, did not meet in Europe, but in the noble hotel St. Regis in the emirate.

All at the expense of Qatar.

"You could tell they wanted to get into our heads so we could fly back and say this World Cup is a good idea," said an unnamed official from Germany who was present at the meeting in the ZDF documentary that has now been broadcast.

At the time, the head of the ECA was the former CEO of FC Bayern Munich, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

The stadiums for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar

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Rummenigge is caught with two unpaid Rolex watches at Munich Airport - origin unclear

A week after that meeting, the ex-official spoke out for the first time publicly in favor of moving the 2022 World Cup to winter.

But there was already excitement when Rummenigge returned to Munich: he was caught by customs at the airport with two unpaid Rolex watches.

He later claimed the watches were a gift from a friend, not a Qatari.

Two informants from the documentary, who were also present in Doha in 2013 and wanted to remain anonymous, now weigh heavily on Rummenigge.

One reported on a conversation at the hotel bar during the ECA meeting in 2013, during which the former club manager told him that he had received a generous gift.

Everyone knew that the meeting in Doha was "pure lobbying".

What really happened at the 2013 European Club Association (ECA) meeting in Doha?

© IMAGO/Sven Simon

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ZDF informant provides a photo of one of the two Rolex models - it matches the one from Qatar

The other was even sure: The personal gift was the two Rolex watches, which together are said to be worth over 90,000 euros.

The informant sent ZDF a photo of one of the two models.

It turned out that the Rolex ladies' watch was actually one of the two that Rummenigge had brought back from Qatar.

The former player rejected the allegations through his lawyer: "The two Rolexes were not gifts from Hassan Al-Thawadi (head of the World Cup organizing committee, editor's note)." So it's always who he got the watches from not yet finally clarified.

However, Rummenigge has always defended the World Cup in Qatar since this incident.

He rejected a request from ZDF for an interview as part of the documentary.