Kalle's legs of steel

The right man, perhaps, at the wrong time. Two European Cups, two Ballon d’Ors, a European Championship title and a World Cup final. Not a bad résumé for a 29-year-old player. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, simply Kalle to Inter fans over 50, arrived in 1984 at the peak of his career. He had spent 10 years at Bayern Munich, scoring 155 goals in his final five seasons. More than 30 a season. Simply incredible.

He joined Inter to form a partnership with Spillo Altobelli. Two modern centre-forwards: quick, skilful and excellent in the air. The partnership clicked, but Kalle initially struggled in front of goal. He finally opened his account on the perfect occasion: Inter vs. Juventus, a 4-0 win. He scored twice. From that moment on, Kalle became a fan favourite. The German never held back, demanding the very best from himself and his teammates, both on and off the pitch. His goalscoring numbers, however, never reached the heights they had in Bavaria, partly due to fitness issues. He spent three seasons at Inter, with his second campaign the standout one: 18 goals in 39 appearances. His third was a struggle, as he made just 14 Serie A appearances. Even so, there were plenty of unforgettable moments: a fierce strike into the top corner in a Milano derby, a brilliant volley against Torino. And, of course, those incredible thighs that the fans could only admire from a distance. He moved to Servette in Switzerland to bring his career to a close, but he would put on the Inter shirt one final time. In February 1989, during an international break, Inter played the Soviet Union in a friendly in Monza. The game ended 2-2, with Kalle lining up alongside Matthäus, an almost symbolic passing of the torch to the man who would go on to win the Ballon d’Or with Inter. Rummenigge also scored his final goal in the Nerazzurri shirt.

But his greatest goal was the one that never counted. In the 1984/85 UEFA Cup, Inter faced Glasgow Rangers at San Siro. With Inter 3-0 up, Kalle produced a moment of pure magic: a bicycle kick two metres off the ground, combining extraordinary technique and coordination. The referee blew his whistle for dangerous play. Strangely, the referee was German. After the final whistle, he walked over to Rummenigge and whispered: “Could I have your shirt? You know, for my son…”

Some say that, 42 years on, Kalle is still giving him a dirty look.