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Report nowA failed handshake, a fiery red Karl-Heinz Rummenigge - and an image that Ciriaco Sforza would not get rid of for years. In the World Cup talk, the Swiss tells us how he became a "stinker" at Bayern.
Ciriaco Sforza's first time at FC Bayern was turbulent and full of conflict. After moving to Munich from Kaiserslautern for a good 6 million francs in 1995, the Swiss was forced into a defensive role under coach Otto Rehhagel that did not suit him at all.
The creative playmaker visibly lost the joy of football and later even publicly criticized the coach's lack of tactical training. Early on, the then 26-year-old flirted with a move - even though he had only signed a three-year contract a few months earlier.
After winning the UEFA Cup with Bayern in 1996, Sforza left the German record champions for Inter Milan after just one season. On the one hand, the Swiss had been a supporter of the Nerazzurri since childhood, while on the other hand, Roy Hodgson, his former national team coach, courted him intensively.
His transfer caused a lot of trouble in Munich. Bayern vice-president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge publicly described Sforza as a "stinker" and accused him of making a hasty exit. But how exactly did the public mud-slinging between the former world-class striker (once also at Servette) and Sforza come about?
"Something quite banal happened", says the Swiss in the World Cup talk. He came into the dressing room at Säbener Strasse. "We were all sitting in the dressing room and Rummenigge shook everyone's hand. Next to me on the left was Thomas Linke, on the right Markus Babbel. Kalle comes over, goes to Thommy and shakes his hand to say hello. Then he comes over to me, shakes my hand - but is already looking at the next person," recalls the now 56-year-old.
The air was thick between Ciri Sforza and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.
Picture: blue Sport/Imago
"I said to him: 'Excuse me, at home you look at each other when you shake hands' - but in a normal tone," Sforza records, adding: "Kalle turned fiery red."
When the Bayern vice-chairman finally moved on, Thomas Linke said to him: "From now on, you'll have big problems with him because you attacked him." The rebuke did indeed have an immediate effect. "After this action, he put me in this drawer," summarizes Sforza with regard to the stinky boot statements.
Getting rid of this image is not easy, notes the man from Aargau: "I don't think it's okay. You can also talk to people and ask why and why not - that never happened." At least the two squabblers later made up. "We spoke to each other after a long time. But when you're in a drawer like that, you stay in the drawer."
Rummenigge also took part in the legendary prank on "Verstehen Sie Spass?". The TV show faked the reactions to Sforza's transfer to Inter (which also became a reality shortly afterwards).
"At the time of the recording, there were negotiations between Bayern and Inter. That's why I was a bit taken aback at first. But they did a sensational job. I really didn't notice for a second," says Sforza.
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