His tears after the “Four minute championship” in 17 years ago are unforgettable, as was the UEFA Cup victory in 1997: Rudi Assauer was a maker and soul of the FC Schalke 04. Now the Ex-Manager, passed away after a long illness.
Of all places, a Cup round. In the competition, FC Schalke 04 celebrated its last title, in 2002 was, of all places, a Cup round, so the Association mourns the loss of a great personality of the 114-year-old club’s history: Rudi Assauer is dead. The former Manager died after a long illness. “Without Rudy, we all wouldn’t be here today,” said Supervisory Board Chairman Clemens toennies prior to the kick-off in the second round against Fortuna Düsseldorf: “He was the architect of the modern Schalke. We would like to give him today, a good football game. Rudi, we are very sad and will never forget you.”
Four minutes before the FC Schalke 04 have announced this evening the death Assauers on Twitter, responded to the great rival: “Borussia Dortmund mourns the loss of a European Cup heroes of 1966. Rest in peace, Rudi Assauer”. It is unusual that a man for these two great competitors plays such an importance. But Rudi Assauer was also unusual.
As a defensive player, he was one of the 5. May 1966 in Glasgow to Dortmund’s Eleven, which was won by a 2:1 success to the extension for the first time a European Cup to Germany. A year ago he triumphed with the BVB in the DFB Cup, in 1966 he celebrated the Vice-championship. This trophy, he was allowed to lift it as a coach or Manager of Schalke never in the height, even though he was on the verge of.
2001, was: Fans and players stormed to the victory against Unterhaching already in the square and celebrated the supposed title before Bayern Munich Cup with the 1:1 compensation snatch the Royal blue the most in extra-time in Hamburg. The tears of Assauer went around the world. The “master of the heart” were born, however, Assauer said at the press conference, bitterly: “I no longer believe in the God of football.”
A week after the low point, the Team won the DFB-Cup, the following year, the Royal Blues were able to repeat the Triumph in Berlin. In the victory rush Assauer was once the “pot” traps, and the piece had to be carefully restored. The greatest Triumph in the club’s history occurred under Assauers Era: Schalke won the 1997 UEFA Cup after a penalty shoot-out against the big favorites Inter Milan.
A few years earlier, the club from Gelsenkirchen had been facing financial Ruin. But Assauer loved the challenges and the football: “After school, I threw the chunks in the corner, ate lunch and then went out to play football”. That’s why he had omitted also to the visit of the gymnasium, “where is the soccer playing was frowned upon”. After his active career, he worked as a Manager at Werder Bremen, and declined in 1979, a proposal of FC Bayern Munich, because he put his club back in the relegation battle – as Uli Hoeness, Bayern has a Manager. “We used to argue so often, and have us be friends, but again and again, and were private friends,” said Hoeness. “He was a robust guy who has done the German football incredibly well.”
In the past few years it had become quiet around the often blustering Assauer. It came in 2006 to a break with the Chairman of the Supervisory Board Tönnies and other members of the Board at Schalke. Long ago there were the first signs of Assauers disease, which he ignored, but then glossed over. “You don’t want it to be true. If there is one thing in the world I’ve always been scared, really Scared, in plain English, Alzheimer’s disease,” he confessed later. “No, not the bulb.”
With Rudi Assauer, the German football loses an outstanding personality,” said DFB President Reinhard Grindel. The North Rhine-Westphalian Ministerpäsdient Armin Laschet said, Assauers was a Work “of almost inestimable value. With his death, the Ruhr area and North Rhine-loses Westphalia, a real guy.”
A guy who almost always had a cigar between the fingers and a Macho slogan on the lips, and for many was more than a supervisor. “I have to thank him as a footballer and human being so much. Without him, I would have to know S04 never learned to love. Always, if it went bad, I could call him. He was always there for me,” tweeted, for example, Ex-national player Gerald Asamoah.
The FC Schalke 04 wanted to give according to the Chairman of the Supervisory Board Tönnies the deceased Assauer today, a good football game. The Team won with 4:1 (1:0) against Fortuna Düsseldorf and therefore is in the DFB Cup quarter-final. To celebrate felt, nevertheless, anyone. Suitable to one of the many Assauer claims: “Today, the end of silence silent.”