Rudi Assauer dies age 74
February 6, 2019
Rudi Assauer, who had two spells as general manager of Bundesliga club Schalke, has passed away, the club confirmed on Wednesday. He was 74 years old.
Assauer, a former defender, played 307 games in Germany's top division for Borussia Dortmund and Werder Bremen between 1964 and 1976. He won the 1965 German Cup and the 1966 European Cup Winners' Cup with Dortmund.
He is better known for his time as Schalke's sporting director, a role he held for a total of 18 years from 1981-1986 and from 1993-2006. During his second stint with the club, the Royal Blues won two German Cups and the 1997 UEFA Cup.
He famously shed tears of disappointment in 2001 when Schalke missed out on their first-ever Bundesliga title after Bayern Munich scored a goal with the last kick of the season.
Assauer revealed in 2012 that he was suffering from Alzheimer's disease. He was married twice and had a nine-year relationship with German actress Sophia Thomalla in between. He leaves behind two daughters.
dv/ftm (dpa, SID)
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