Former Bayern Munich CEO and European Club Association (ECA) chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was on Thursday named honorary member of Europe's ruling football body UEFA.
Former Bayern and West Germany winger Rummenigge was a UEFA executive committee member 2016-2017, and again 2021-2024. He presided over the ECA 2008-2017 and was Bayern CEO 2002-2021.
Apart from Rummenigge, former Swedish referee and long-standing UEFA vice-president Karl-Erik Nilsson and former Manchester United CEO David Gill were made honorary members at the UEFA Congress in Belgrade.
Rummenigge spoke of "a special honour and a great recognition to receive this award." He added: "European football has shaped my whole life and I'm delighted to be able to continue making my contribution."
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said: "What you did, you did for the good of football. Football loves you. We still need you. We need your wisdom, we will always need it."
German Football Federation (DFB) president Bernd Neuendorf was meanwhile elected for a another four-year term as UEFA member in the council of the world governing body FIFA. DFB vice president Hans-Joachim Watzke earned another four years in the UEFA executive committee.
"It can't be taken for granted that we are represented on both committees, which we consider an honour," Neuendorf said.
German officials now hope that the positive results from Belgrade will help them in their bid for the women's Euro 2029 tournament, with the host to be announced at the end of the year.
