Top facts about Rudi Völler, Aunt Kathy

Rudolf "Rudi" Völler (born 13 April 1960), also known as "Tante Käthe" ("Aunt Kathy"), is a former German professional football player and manager who currently serves as the sporting director for Bayer Leverkusen.

Rudi Völler's age

is 61. Here you can find out the most important facts about Rudi Völler, the Flying German.

The first fact about Rudi Völler is that he was a striker who won the FIFA World Cup as a player in 1990. In the 1986 FIFA World Cup Final against Argentina, he also scored an equalizing goal in the 81st minute to make it 2–2, but Argentina won 3–2.

Völler, like Mário Zagallo,

, and

, holds the distinction of having reached a World Cup final as both a player and a manager (1986 and 1990).

Germany is a country that has produced some of the best players in history. They have always been one of the best footballing countries, with players like Uwe Seeler, Gerd Müller, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Jürgen Klinsmann, Rudi Völler, Miroslav Klose, Lukas Podolski, and Thomas Müller.

Rudi Völler is a coach who is well-known among German soccer fans from the 2000s. Völler is also well-known among young German football fans as the Sporting Director of Bayer Leverkusen.

An important fact about Rudi Völler is that he rose through the ranks of Kickers Offenbach, then in the 2. Bundesliga (2nd tier of German football), and made his debut at the age of 17.

He only played 73 games for the club and scored 19 goals during his time there. However, his talent was recognized by the German board, and at the age of 19, he was given his West Germany U-21 debut.

With 10 goals in 19 games, he had an exceptional goal-scoring record that drew the attention of then-Bundesliga club 1860 Munich. He was called in to help them improve their outcomes, which had been deteriorating for many years.

He was signed by Werder Bremen in 1982 after two seasons as a starter at the club, scoring 46 goals in 70 games, and becoming the greatest goal-scoring machine the club had ever seen.

Völler's dribbling, lightning pace, and soaring headers shook the Bundesliga. His playing style seems to be modeled after that of Gerd Muller. In his debut season at Werder Bremen, he was the Bundesliga's top scorer.

Top facts about Rudi Völler:

Rudi Völler was signed by AS Roma in 1987 after playing 137 games for Bremen and scored 97 goals. The German sensation's first two seasons were not easy, as he had to deal with Serie A's hard-hitting tacklers. Due to his ailments, his first season was a disaster, and his second season was no better.

Rudi Völler early life

Rudi Völler was born in Hanau in 1960 as one of two sons of Kurt and Ilse Völler. The father was a trained lathe operator, later worked as a warehouse foreman and was a youth supervisor at the local soccer club TSV 1860 Hanau, where he was also active as a player.

Speaking about

Rudi Völler parents

, it should be mentioned that his mother also worked as a seamstress and cleaning lady. His father took him to training for the first time when he was eight.

Regarding

Rudi Völler childhood

, it is worth mentioning that he turned out to be a talent. From the C-youth he played in the TSV and from then on scored 40 to 50 goals per season. At the age of 15, he was discovered by the Offenbach talent scout Hermann Nuber.

He attended secondary school and a so-called Sunday school in Hanau. After graduating from secondary school, Offenbach wanted to sign him.

Rudi Völler personal life

Völler has been married to an Italian for the second time since 1995. From this relationship he has two sons and another son and daughter from his first marriage. His son Marco played in the basketball league, and his son Kevin Völler-Adducci plays for the soccer club FC Büderich in the district league Niederrhein.

Rudi Völler professional career

With over 300 goals for the club and country, Rudi Völler’s career excelled at the very highest level. He was also one of the best players ever with such a penchant for always being overshadowed.

Rudi Völler scored bucketloads in the Bundesliga, Serie A and Ligue 1, and won the Champions League with

in 1993 and the World Cup with Germany in 1990, scoring 47 goals in 90 international games. His greatest achievement was as coach of the national team when he led an entirely forgettable team to the 2002 World Cup Final.

Rudi Völler club career

An important fact about Rudi Völler is that he began his career with 1860 Hanau, then went on to play for Kickers Offenbach and TSV 1860 Munich in the second level before joining Bundesliga team

in 1982, where he earned his first West German cap.

Roma

Following a successful season in which he was the Bundesliga's top scorer, foreign clubs expressed interest in the striker, and he was transferred to Roma in 1987, where he quickly established himself as a mainstay of the team, earning the nicknames "er tedesco" ("the German") and "il tedesco volante" ("the flying German").

He was the club's leading scorer on multiple times and won the Coppa Italia in 1991.

Marseille

Völler was sold by Roma to Marseille in 1992, where he was supposed to replace legendary striker Jean-Pierre Papin. Both sides were glad to let the transfer go through since it enabled

to add Claudio Caniggia as its third foreigner to the team.

In a very successful first season, he won the UEFA Champions League with Olympique de Marseille against AC Milan, managed by Fabio Capello (1–0, goal scored by Basile Boli), capping off a very successful first season. Völler began the game and played 78 minutes.

After being caught up in a bribery investigation, Marseille was stripped of their 1993 league championship and demoted despite finishing second in 1994.

Völler scored 24 league goals for the club before leaving after the team's relegation. After returning to Germany, he joined Bayer Leverkusen in 1994, where he finished his playing career in 1996 and began a career in club management.

Rudi Völler international career

A notable

fact about Rudi Völler

is that he played 90 times for Germany, scoring 47 goals in the process, including eight in the World Cup finals.

Völler has competed in three UEFA European Championships, beginning with Euro 1984, when he scored twice in a 2–1 win against Romania in a group match. West Germany was eliminated after a 90th-minute loss to

in their next encounter, when all they needed was a tie.

Völler scored the equalizer for West Germany in a 2–1 triumph against Scotland in the 1986 FIFA World Cup group stage. In the semi-final, he scored a last-minute goal against

to secure a 2–0 victory, and in the final, his 80th-minute goal tied the game at 2–2.

Germany came back from a two-goal deficit to lose the match 3–2. After Dick Nanninga in 1978 and Alessandro Altobelli in 1982, Völler became the third player to score in a World Cup final as a replacement.

West Germany hosted Euro 1988, and Völler scored twice in a 2–0 victory against Spain, but the hosts were defeated in the semi-finals by eventual champions the Netherlands.

An important fact about Rudi Völler is that he was a part of the Italian World Cup-winning squad in 1990. He scored three goals in the tournament, including one in a 4–1 victory over Yugoslavia and two more in a 5–1 victory against the United Arab Emirates.

Völler and Dutch player Frank Rijkaard were both sent off during the second-round encounter against the Netherlands after the Dutchman spit on Völler twice.

In the first half of the semi-final against England, Völler went off hurt and was replaced by Karl-Heinz Riedle. Völler recovered in time to start Germany's 3rd World Cup final against Argentina, which

won 1–0.

The unsavory incident began after Rijkaard was booked for a nasty tackle on Völler during the second-round encounter against the Netherlands. Rijkaard spit on Völler's hair as he took into position for the free kick. Völler made a complaint to the referee and was also given a yellow card.

An angry Völler then sprang up and hit the ball with his hand (although it seemed that he used his head) before diving to avoid colliding with Dutch goalkeeper Hans van Breukelen, although it also appeared that he had dived for a penalty.

Van Breukelen was enraged, but Rijkaard retaliated by pulling Völler's ear and trampling on his foot. Völler and Rijkaard were both sent off after the volatile and strong Argentine referee Juan Carlos Loustau had had enough of their shenanigans. As they exited the ground, Rijkaard spit in Völler's hair once again, and it was said that he did so again on the touchline.

Rijkaard subsequently admitted that he was to blame, "That day, I was mistaken. There was no retaliation. Rudi Völler was always someone I admired. But when I saw the red card, I went insane.

After the contest, I spoke with him and apologized. I'm overjoyed that he agreed. I no longer have a negative impression of him. Years later, we even appeared for a pretty amusing commercial together." (At the time, Rijkaard was dealing with family issues.)

A notable

fact about Rudi Völler

is that he was re-selected for Euro 1992, but was forced to withdraw after suffering an injury in the first game against CIS.

and Karl-Heinz Riedle, who each scored five goals in the 1994 World Cup, held Völler out of the starting lineup for all three group games. In the group stages, he only made one appearance as a sub. He did score twice in a 3–2 triumph against Belgium in the second-round encounter.

Rudi Völler managerial career

Following Germany's dismal performance at Euro 2000 under manager Erich Ribbeck, the German Football Association (DFB) chose Völler as the new manager, despite his lack of coaching credentials at the time.

Germany

Following the decision by Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Völler himself (as sports director of the club) not to have Christoph Daum stand down from the national team before 2001, he merely intended to accept interimistic duty for a year.

After Daum got embroiled in a contentious drug controversy, Völler renewed his contract based on his performance. Despite a 5–1 home loss to England and two disappointing draws against Finland during qualifying, he led the squad to an unexpected participation in the 2002 World Cup final against

. He resigned from his position after the team's first-round elimination from Euro 2004.

Roma

Following his retirement from the German national team, Völler returned to Roma as manager for a short while in 2004.

An important

fact about Rudi Völler

is that he was hired as a last-minute replacement for Cesare Prandelli in late August, but he departed the club just one month later following a string of dismal performances and high-profile feuds with players, most notably Antonio Cassano.

He only signed a one-year deal to let Prandelli to return the following season, but he only managed one draw and two losses in the league.

Bayer Leverkusen

After the club terminated Coach Klaus Augenthaler, Völler returned to the support ranks at Bayer Leverkusen, where he was elected caretaker manager on September 16, 2005.

Völler held that position until Michael Skibbe was appointed the club's new permanent coach in October of that year. Völler was appointed to Leverkusen's sports director for the second time after the arrival of Skibbe.

Völler was (and continues to be) a huge hit in Germany. Even though the national team produced only modest successes, Völler's reputation remained high because the German people recognized he was doing the best he could with a small group.

Berti Vogts, on the other hand, was generally panned, even during moments of success with a considerably more talented German team.

Völler was even forgiven by the people when, after a 0–0 draw with Iceland in September 2003, he lost his cool and shouted at presenter Waldemar Hartmann in an attempt to defend his squad against what he saw to be unjust press remarks.

Rudi Völler legacy

Rudolf "Rudi" Völler, who succeeded Erich Ribbeck as the eighth National trainer in the summer of 2000 at the age of 40, brought little coaching experience with him, but plenty of well-earned respect and admiration from both his peers and the German public after a senior professional career spanning 17 seasons.

It was like 1984 and Franz Beckenbauer all over again, with the extra benefit that the charming Völler was maybe even more popular outside of Bavaria than Der Kaiser had ever been.

Völler was rightly regarded both at home and abroad as the ultimate penalty area poacher, perhaps second only to Müller himself, having played 90 times for the Nationalmannschaft between 1982 and 1994 and scoring 47 goals, which put him second on the all-time top scorers’ charts behind the legendary Gerd Müller.

Most English-speakers would remember Völler as the guy who was sent off for being spat at by Frank Rijkaard during the 1990 World Cup in Italy; however, German fans will remember him as Tante Käthe – or "Aunty Katie" – due to his grandma-grey curly haircut.

Völler, who was born on the 13th of April 1960 in Hanau, Hessen, was a self-deprecating and modest guy with a distinct sense of commitment and purpose that would characterize his career as a player and subsequently as the national team's coach.

Rudi soon established himself as a prolific striker after being introduced to local club TSV 1860 Hanau by his father Kurt and his three brothers. It wasn't long before he began to catch the notice of visiting talent scouts.

Völler joined the Kickers, now in the 2. Bundesliga Süd after being demoted during the 1975/76 season, shortly after his sixteenth birthday. In November 1977, he made his professional debut, and in early 1978, he scored his first goal.

He would score 18 goals in 73 games, but he quickly realized he was going nowhere at a club that had been good enough to achieve a few top 10 finishes but not quite strong enough to challenge for a position in the top flight.

TSV 1860 München won the 2. Bundesliga Süd championship in 1978/79, and the Bavarian club signed the twenty-year-old Offenbacher the following year.

1860 would make it through their first season back in the top flight, but when they were unable to prevent relegation the following season, Völler was once again relegated to the new single-division 2. Bundesliga. But it was here that he really shined, scoring 35 goals in 37 games for Die Löwen, who finished fourth.

Völler had been discovered by Nationaltrainer Jupp Derwall after a series of good performances for the national Under-21 team, and his fantastic goalscoring record secured him a position in the initial group of players picked for the World Cup finals in Spain.

The teenager wouldn't make the final team because more experienced players were chosen, but the time had come for him to go on to greater and better things. Völler's rise coincided with the downfall of 1860, which, despite a respectable fourth-place finish in the 2. Bundesliga, was unable to keep its professional license.

With the team now playing in the third-tier Oberliga Bayern, it was time for their top striker to move on, and he did so by joining SV Werder Bremen, who is now coached by Otto Rehhagel, a former Kickers Offenbach coach.

Football in the top division accelerated Völler's career, as well as Werder's fortunes, which had just recently returned to the top level in the 1980/81 season.

The 1982/83 season was a huge success for both the club and its new striker: the Weserstadion finished second in the Bundesliga, just ahead of northern city state rivals HSV on goal difference, and Völler scored 23 goals in 31 games.

Völler immediately earned a reputation for being a diligent worker off the field as well as a clinical finisher.

By the end of 1982, the 22-year-old Völler had made his Nationalmannschaft debut, scoring his first international goal in a 2-1 victory against Albania in Tirana in March 1983.

Werder Bremen did not finish below the top five in the Bundesliga between 1983 and 1987, and the prolific Völler continued to perform his job in front of goal.

In 137 appearances with Die Grün-Weißen, he would score a total of 97 goals. Völler scored 22 goals in 41 games for Germany over the same time span, a strike rate of over a goal per game.

Rudi Völler, a legend in serie A

If you were a regular at Roma's Curva Sud in the late 1980s and early 1990s, you would have heard the Ultras chanting, 'Fly German, Fly.'

They were alluding to their devastating forward Rudi Voller, who is still revered in the community today. His signature move was the soaring header, which is now considered a lost talent in today's game. The attacker has a particular bond with the Giallorossi fans, and he taught them how to steal goals for five years.

During Serie A's fairy tale period, the guy from Hanau was perhaps more of a story from the town's other famous sons, 'The Brothers Grimm.' Voller's playing had a certain edge to it, as well as a perseverance that frequently got him into trouble.

He struggled to keep his rage in check. This looked unimportant at times, since his playing style resembled that of the renowned

.

He would seem indifferent as he walked around the field on the defender's last shoulder. Defenders would then be rendered immobile as the ball was sent into the box, only to recover their composure as Voller spun away in jubilation. All of this happened before anybody could figure out how he managed to escape.

After ending the previous season as the Bundesliga's top scorer, the West German landed at the Eternal City in 1987. Injury setbacks delayed his integration into the club, and he only managed to score three goals in his debut season. His luck did not improve at the start of his second season, as he only managed to catch one additional fish before Christmas.

He was a popular, however, since despite the lack of pay, his work ethic was praised, and by the end of the season, he was flying a 'German Bomber.'

He enjoyed the moniker 'Il Tedesco volante.' After all, it was better than the equivalent for his national team. His greying perm had earned him the moniker 'Tante Kathe' or Aunty Kathy, according to German teammate Thomas Berthold.

Both actors were born and raised in Frankfurt, where the nickname "perm queen" referred to elderly women who wore their hair in perms. Voller was unconcerned, remarking, "I'd rather be grey than bald."

In Serie A, the German was up against some of the world's top defenses, and while winning just the Coppa Italia with the Giallorossi, he was proud of what he had accomplished.

"You just had Italy back then," Voller told FourFourTwo magazine years later. "England was far away, and Spain had fallen behind." All of the players that wanted to succeed, make it big, and play in the finest league in the world flocked to Italy."

While Inter, Napoli, and, of course, Milan reigned at that time, Voller may be proud of his role in a squad that included Bruno Conti, Ruggerio Rizzitelli, Aldiar, Giuseppe Giannini, Andrea Carnevale, and his "best" buddy Thomas Berthold.

The quintessential number nine was the Flying German. Gerd Muller, his idol, was studied for his close dribble, which allowed him to defeat the opposing defense with barely a foot or two between them.

This, along with his bravery – on occasion hurling himself at the ball to score — frequently resulted in his being on the receiving end of a defender's boot, something Voller despised.

Anyone who has seen the Roma player in action will recall his begging expression towards referees when he was in trouble. Ask Frank Rijkaard, who saw this personally in Italia 90, how crafty the German was in his response and how open he was to play-acting. He also employed stamps on the shin and elbows (where necessary), making him a figurative and physical menace to the defenders he faced.

Voller scored 45 goals in 143 league appearances and 68 goals in 198 games because to his powerful shooting and amazing aerial skills. When evaluating any striker's record during this time period, it's important to remember the strength of Serie A's defenses.

After Abel Balbo and Pedro Manfredini, he is the club's third best scoring foreign player (it should be noted that the Brazilian-born Dino Da Costa played international football for Italy).

Rudi Voller was everything Roma needed from a foreign player when Calcio really ruled the world. He was independent, inspired by his upbringing, and completely enamored with the city. He became another of Roma's great almost men after five years at the club.

Voller is the one who is praised by the Romanisti for his work with silverware. That is, with the exception of the 1990 World Cup, which he won in the Stadio Olimpico. He described his accomplishment as follows,

"It was like a dream come true for me. It was my third year in Rome, and I was playing in the World Cup final in'my stadium, which made it seem like a home game for us. The fact that we had to play Argentina helped a lot. It would have been more problematic if Italy had won the final."

Rudi Völler and the media

Völler may have been popular with the German populace, but he was never popular with the media, who would have turned their backs on Mother Teresa at the first chance. During the qualifying process for Euro 2004, the criticism of the National trainer resurfaced, and it eventually came to a head live on national television.

Following a disheartening goalless draw in Iceland, Völler, who is known for his calm demeanor, lashed out at his detractors. His wrath was intended at broadcaster Gerhard Delling and professional-turned-pundit Günter Netzer, who had both been harsh in their post-match comments.

Völler didn't hold back when he said he'd had enough of "all of the trash" directed at him, and he reserved a few choice words for Netzer in particular.

Waldemar Hartmann, the guy who conducted the interview, was also not spared. Völler's vitriol left the seasoned host speechless, and he was accused of sitting in his comfy chair and sipping three large wheat beers.

Völler instantly apologized for the statement after learning that wheat beer was not available in Iceland. But he was adamant about not returning anything else. Such a reaction from a German coach was uncommon, and it only added to Völler's reputation among the audience.

Some quick facts about Rudi Völler:

A notable fact about Rudi Völler is that he established his domination in the Italian League as early as the third season. He became known as the "flying German," or "il tedesco volante." Despite receiving lucrative offers from other larger teams at the time, he remained loyal to the club for five seasons.

He became a club icon in less than 5 seasons, scoring 45 goals for the club and was inducted into the club's Hall of Fame.

Völler also tried his luck in France with Marseille, where he outshined every other star, and then retired after two seasons with Bayer Leverkusen.

Völler could drop to the wings and manage play from everywhere on the field, despite being a centre forward, and his battling attitude and work rate endeared him to the fans. Völler is one of the most complete forwards ever, with great heading abilities, dangerous shooting from either foot and deft dribbling.

He has 257 club goals in 542 games and 90 matches for the national team, scoring 47 goals in 12 years with the squad, giving him Germany's equal fourth most goal-scorer with teammate Jürgen Klinsmann.

Völler was defeated in the finals of the 2002 World Cup by great Brazil, as previously known. But this wasn't the first time Völler had felt like a runner-up.

When Germany lost to

in the finals of the U-21 UEFA Euro Cup and when Germany lost to

in the finals of the 1986 World Cup, he had to feel this way.

When Germany fell to Denmark in the 1992 UEFA Euro Cup, the same thing occurred. But his perseverance, never-say-die mentality, and work ethic paid off when he won the World Cup in 1990, a trophy he came so close to winning in 1986.

An important fact about Rudi Völler is that he retired in 1996 and joined Bayer Leverkusen as Sporting Director. It was his first time in that position.

He was named coach of the German national team in 2000. He rose to prominence quickly and was a key factor in Germany's early 2000s football success. However, following a poor showing at the 2004 UEFA Euro Cup, he resigned from his position and returned to Roma as manager.

However, due to poor results and disagreements with the players, Völler resigned and returned to Bayer Leverkusen as a caretaker coach in 2005, where he was promoted to Sporting Director as a new permanent coach was announced. Völler has continued to fill the position with his passion to the game and hard effort since then.

Rudi Völler was perhaps one of the world's most complete attackers, a player who loved to take on defenders. He was a lethal menace inside the six-yard box and unquestionably one of the finest attackers to emerge from the German national team's ranks, a football icon without a doubt.

Voller was never expected to be the national coach of Germany. In 2000, the German FA sought to select Bayer Leverkusen manager Christoph Daum, but he still had a year left on his contract with the club.

Voller, who was then the sports director at Leverkusen, was therefore selected as a guy who was familiar with Daum's philosophy and could begin putting it into practice until the coach wrapped off his club responsibilities. As it turned out, Daum was unable to accept the post owing to drug-related concerns, and Voller was retained in the position and led Germany to the 2002 World Cup final.

A notable fact about Rudi Völler is that he is one of just three persons –

and Franz Beckenbauer are the others – to have reached the World Cup final as both a player and a coach (in 1986 and 1990).

He scored 68 goals in 198 appearances for the Giallorossi, putting him in 13th place on the club's all-time scoring record. After Abel Balbo and Pedro Manfredini, he is the club's third best scoring foreign player (Brazilian-born Dino Da Costa played international football for Italy).

Rudi Völler social media

Regarding

Rudi Völler social media

, it should be mentioned that he does no have ant pages on any social media platforms.

Rudi Völler body measurements

Speaking about

Rudi Völler body measurements

, it should be mentioned that the former star is 180 cm and 71 kg.

Rudi Völler net worth and salary

Rudi Voller's net worth

is estimated to be $1.5 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider. As a professional soccer player and manager, he earned the money.

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