Rudolf Brunnenmeier
Encyclopedia
Rudolf "Rudi" Brunnenmeier (* 11 February 1941 in Munich
, Germany
; † 18 April 2003 in Olching
, Germany) was a German football player. The former top scorer of the Bundesliga (football) and five times player for Germany is closely associated with the great era of TSV 1860 Munich in the 1960s.
season 1963–64. In the Oberliga years Brunnenmeier contributed an impressive 73 goals in 88 Matches.
In the Bundesliga the team coached by Max Merkel
continued its success, winning the German Cup
in 1964. Brunnenmeier not only contributed 19 goals in 29 league matches, but also scored the decisive 2–0 in the cup final versus Frankfurt.
In the next season Brunnenmeier rose his Bundesliga tally to 24 goals, which made him top scorer in that season. Most importantly the club reached the Cup Winners' Cup 1965 which took place in front of a crowd of 100 000 in the Wembley Stadium
in London
. Effectively this turned out to be an away match, as West Ham United were the opponents. "Hammers" keeper Jim Standen
made fine saves from 1860 captain Brunnenmeier and eventually two goals by Alan Sealey
twenty minutes before time saw West Ham captain Bobby Moore
lifting his first of altogether three trophies within one year in Wembley.
In these years, 1964 and 1965 Brunnenmeier also played fve times for the German national football team. He scored three goals in those matches.
1966 saw the peak of the Sixtiers, when they won the hitherto only championship title of their history. Peter Grosser
and Hans Rebele
powered the offensive style for which this side was famous. Highly memorable was also Yugoslav goalkeeper Petar Radenkovic
, the first foreign star in the Bundesliga. Players like Luttrop and Reich performed defensive roles in this highly entertaining cast where also Alfred "Fredi" Heiß
, Friedhelm Konietzka, Wilfried Kohlars
and Hans Küppers
managed to capture the attention of a wider audience.
But Brunnenmeier had already peaked before. In the championship season he only scored 15 goals, his lowest season output since he joined the club. And the club went downhill from then on forth, so did Brunnenmeier. As the club's placings moved into double digits, so did Brunnenmeier's annual tallies turn single digit: seven goals stood at the end of the 1966–67 season and in the next season, which should be his last with the Lions he even only was left with one single goal after only 12 matches.
Rudi Brunnenmeier left with altogether 66 goals in 119 league matches, which remain club record, and is considered on of the greatest forwards in 1860's history.
After his time in Munich he initially played for four years with Xamax Neuchatel in the Swiss first division followed by a year with FC Zürich.
From 1973 until 1977 he is still on the books with Schwarz-Weiss Bregenz in Austria before playing three more years with amateur side FC Balzers
in Liechtenstein
.
After the end of his years as player Brunnenmeier increasingly had problems due to his inclination to alcohol abuse which eventually impoverished him. Odd jobs helped him to get by. Eventually, on 18 April 2003 he died from alcohol related issues.
His funeral took place under great public attention. The championship winning side of 1966 and many fans paid their last tribute to this great icon of TSV 1860 Munich.
Individual
Match records
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
; † 18 April 2003 in Olching
Olching
Olching is a municipality in the district of Fürstenfeldbruck, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated approximately 20 km northwest of Munich.-Geography:...
, Germany) was a German football player. The former top scorer of the Bundesliga (football) and five times player for Germany is closely associated with the great era of TSV 1860 Munich in the 1960s.
Career
The forward played from 1960 until 1968 for 1860 Munich. Initially, from 1960 to 1963 the club was in the Oberliga Süd, the southern division of the then five way split German first division. There, 1860 won the league in 1963, yielding the title of "South German Champions", a berth in the play-offs for the national championship of that year, and most importantly a place in the first BundesligaFußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
season 1963–64. In the Oberliga years Brunnenmeier contributed an impressive 73 goals in 88 Matches.
In the Bundesliga the team coached by Max Merkel
Max Merkel
Maximilian Merkel was an Austrian football player and coach. The former Rapid player featured twice in a national team...
continued its success, winning the German Cup
DFB-Pokal
The DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga...
in 1964. Brunnenmeier not only contributed 19 goals in 29 league matches, but also scored the decisive 2–0 in the cup final versus Frankfurt.
In the next season Brunnenmeier rose his Bundesliga tally to 24 goals, which made him top scorer in that season. Most importantly the club reached the Cup Winners' Cup 1965 which took place in front of a crowd of 100 000 in the Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Effectively this turned out to be an away match, as West Ham United were the opponents. "Hammers" keeper Jim Standen
Jim Standen
James Alfred Standen is an English former footballer, playing as goalkeeper, and cricketer.Standen started his footballing career at Arsenal, joining the side in 1953. His appearances at Arsenal were limited, first by National Service and then by the presence of Wales international Jack Kelsey...
made fine saves from 1860 captain Brunnenmeier and eventually two goals by Alan Sealey
Alan Sealey
Alan William Sealey was an English football player. Sealey, an outside right, initially played for Leyton Orient in 1960, before moving to West Ham United, in a player exchange for Dave Dunmore, where he played from 1961 to 1967.Sealey celebrated getting married in May 1965 just one week before he...
twenty minutes before time saw West Ham captain Bobby Moore
Bobby Moore
Robert Frederick Chelsea "Bobby" Moore, OBE was an English footballer. He captained West Ham United for more than ten years and was captain of the England team that won the 1966 World Cup...
lifting his first of altogether three trophies within one year in Wembley.
In these years, 1964 and 1965 Brunnenmeier also played fve times for the German national football team. He scored three goals in those matches.
1966 saw the peak of the Sixtiers, when they won the hitherto only championship title of their history. Peter Grosser
Peter Grosser
Peter Grosser is a retired German football player and coach. As a player, he spent six seasons in the Bundesliga with TSV 1860 München. He also represented Germany on two occasions, in a 1966 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Sweden and in a friendly against Northern Ireland...
and Hans Rebele
Hans Rebele
Hans Rebele is a retired German football player. He spent 6 seasons in the Bundesliga with TSV 1860 München. He also represented Germany in two friendlies.-Honours:* UEFA Cup Winners' Cup finalist: 1965.* Bundesliga champion: 1966....
powered the offensive style for which this side was famous. Highly memorable was also Yugoslav goalkeeper Petar Radenkovic
Petar Radenkovic
Petar Radenković is a Serbian football goalkeeper who played for SFR Yugoslavia.His younger brother Milan Radenković was a famous musician in the United States.-References:**...
, the first foreign star in the Bundesliga. Players like Luttrop and Reich performed defensive roles in this highly entertaining cast where also Alfred "Fredi" Heiß
Alfred Heiß
Alfred 'Fredy' Heiß is a retired German football player. He spent seven seasons in the Bundesliga with TSV 1860 München...
, Friedhelm Konietzka, Wilfried Kohlars
Wilfried Kohlars
Wilfried Kohlars is a retired German football player. He spent 7 seasons in the Bundesliga with TSV 1860 München.-Honours:* UEFA Cup Winners' Cup finalist: 1965.* Bundesliga champion: 1966.* Bundesliga runner-up: 1967....
and Hans Küppers
Hans Küppers
Hans Küppers is a retired German football player. He spent 6 seasons in the Bundesliga with TSV 1860 München and 1. FC Nuremberg...
managed to capture the attention of a wider audience.
But Brunnenmeier had already peaked before. In the championship season he only scored 15 goals, his lowest season output since he joined the club. And the club went downhill from then on forth, so did Brunnenmeier. As the club's placings moved into double digits, so did Brunnenmeier's annual tallies turn single digit: seven goals stood at the end of the 1966–67 season and in the next season, which should be his last with the Lions he even only was left with one single goal after only 12 matches.
Rudi Brunnenmeier left with altogether 66 goals in 119 league matches, which remain club record, and is considered on of the greatest forwards in 1860's history.
After his time in Munich he initially played for four years with Xamax Neuchatel in the Swiss first division followed by a year with FC Zürich.
From 1973 until 1977 he is still on the books with Schwarz-Weiss Bregenz in Austria before playing three more years with amateur side FC Balzers
FC Balzers
FC Balzers is a Liechtensteiner football team that plays in Balzers.Balzers play at Sportplatz Rheinau which is situated right next to the River Rhein next to the border with Switzerland where the town of Trübbach lies....
in Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein
The Principality of Liechtenstein is a doubly landlocked alpine country in Central Europe, bordered by Switzerland to the west and south and by Austria to the east. Its area is just over , and it has an estimated population of 35,000. Its capital is Vaduz. The biggest town is Schaan...
.
After the end of his years as player Brunnenmeier increasingly had problems due to his inclination to alcohol abuse which eventually impoverished him. Odd jobs helped him to get by. Eventually, on 18 April 2003 he died from alcohol related issues.
His funeral took place under great public attention. The championship winning side of 1966 and many fans paid their last tribute to this great icon of TSV 1860 Munich.
Honours
Club- German ChampionshipGerman football championsThe German football champions are the annual winners of the highest association football competition in Germany. The history of the German football championship is complex and reflects the turbulent history of the country through the course of the 20th century.Brought to the country by English...
: 1966 - German Cup WinnerDFB-PokalThe DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga...
: 1964
- South German Championship: 1963
- European Cup Winners' Cup: Finalist 19651965 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup FinalThe 1965 European Cup Winners' Cup Final was a football match between West Ham United of England and TSV 1860 München of West Germany. The final was held at Wembley Stadium in London on 19 May 1965...
Individual
- Bundesliga top scorerBundesliga top scorersThis is the list of Bundesliga top scorers season by season. Since 1966 a miniature artillery sponsored by the German football magazine kicker is awarded to the top scorer at the end of the season. It is formally named "kicker Torjägerkanone" . Gerd Müller holds the record for most goals in a...
: 1965, 24 goals
Match records
- German national football team: 1965–1965: 5 Matches, 3 goals
- TSV 1860 Munich:
- Oberliga South: 1960–1963: 88 Matches, 73 goals
- BundesligaFußball-BundesligaThe Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
: 1963–1968: 119 Matches, 66 goals
External links
- Rudolf Brunnenmeier at worldfootball.net