Rolf Rüssmann - 264.39 Performance Pts
Born: 13/10/1950 Schwelm, Germany Died: 02/10/2009 Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Position: Central Defender Height: 1.85m Weight: 78kg
Maybe not quite 'pig's head on the pitch' controversial or 'crossing the North London divide' controversial, but Russmann's 1980 transfer was controversial, nonetheless. Having made over 300 Bundesliga appearances for Schalke, he joined their rivals, Borussia Dortmund. At the end of the 1980-81 season, Dortmund finished a creditable 7th, whilst a Russmann-less Schalke suffered relegation. Russmann was no stranger to controversy. Early on in his Schalke career, he was found to have been involved in match-fixing, specifically Schalke's 1-0 defeat to Arminia Bielefeld in 1971. This resulted in a ban, which covered German football but was not applied worldwide, so he was able to continue his career with Club Brugge in Belgium, before returning to Schalke in 1974. His second spell with Schalke eventually saw him selected for the national side in 1977, and he won a total of 20 caps. 1977 was also the closest he came to a Bundesliga title, with Schalke finishing in 2nd, just one point behind Borussia Monchengladbach. He retired in 1985, having made 149 league appearances for Dortmund
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