"Set the trap for himself": Rummenigge slaps players and advisors

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge finds the loud criticism of the Club World Cup from Germany unspeakable. The FC Bayern supervisory board member rates everything highly, even though his club was eliminated early. And anyway, he believes the players and agents are to blame for the format.

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge doesn't want to "dramatize" the increased workload for football professionals due to the Club World Cup. "As a player, I would have been happy to participate in such a tournament. Of course, this season will bring more games due to the Club World Cup, but you also have to say: This tournament only takes place every four years," said the FC Bayern Munich supervisory board member in an interview with "Kicker."

"And many players – together with their agents – have contributed to this situation and set the trap for themselves. They demand ever-increasing salaries, which forces clubs to develop additional revenue streams. This is why new formats are emerging," Rummenigge said. "On the other hand, I see little willingness to forgo salary. This is a contradiction that should be clearly identified."

"Must know where their limits lie"

Even compared to rising transfer fees, salary developments are "the bigger problem," Rummenigge emphasized: "At FC Bayern, we also sometimes pay salaries that are too high for the value we provide." However, the trend is not irreversible. At Paris Saint-Germain, for example, they "consciously said goodbye to the most expensive salary structure in Europe—Messi, Neymar, and Mbappé are gone—but they still won the major international title for the first time," Rummenigge said.

Ultimately, however, the development in salaries must be contained primarily through "reforms in associations and leagues," he said. Furthermore, it is important that clubs and associations "retain air sovereignty," Rummenigge added: "The agents and players must know where their limits lie. These limits must not be shifted, otherwise the entire system will be thrown into disarray."

"Otherwise at the Confederations Cup - no added value for the club"

Despite FC Bayern's quarterfinal exit to Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain, the long-time Munich CEO drew a positive conclusion. "Many of our international players would otherwise have played at the Confederations Cup in the USA – without any added value for the club. Now FC Bayern was able to showcase itself on the world stage, win new fans, and also benefit financially. It's worth looking beyond the horizon every now and then," said the 69-year-old.

Rummenigge emphasized that the three European teams and one South American team in the semifinals "well reflect the global football reality." He himself followed the tournament with great interest: "I enjoyed the competition a lot; I saw almost all of the matches."

He wasn't surprised that Germany had "once again emerged as the world champion of criticism." "The ratings here on TV, both on Sat.1 and DAZN, were still good, and there was broad approval, especially among the young target audience," Rummenigge said. Perceptions on the ground have also changed positively: "For example, FC Bayern's jersey sales in the USA increased sevenfold. That's another positive effect of the tournament." Chelsea FC won the Club World Cup.