264: Rudi Völler, Deutschland-BRD, Panini Italia ’90 World Cup

Mat Jolin-Beech takes A Sticker’s Worth 500 Words to new cultural heights today with a look at a German striker whose career highlights were soundtracked by two of the most stirring pieces of music known to man. The most recent winners of Europe’s premier club competition (sadly not the Cup Winners’ Cup) may well choose to boo one of these and it did seem odd that the coronation of King Charles III failed to remind us it was being brought to us by a premium brand of lager but the vast majority of us would struggle to deny their emotive impact. Over to Mat. Vincera!

Italia ’90. The best World Cup ever? Possibly. I guess it depends on who you ask. Maybe not if you’re Chris Waddle, Stuart Pearce, or anyone Argentine. It certainly wasn’t a bad one for Rudi Völler, with his mullet gaining infamy thanks to the two globules that were fired from Frank Riijkard’s mouth! As I’ll explain, Völler and Italia ‘90 both have linked histories and legacies.

But back to Italia ‘90, and let’s settle on it being the most evocative World Cup. A key part of that was the soundtrack to the global soccer championships. The song: Un'estate italiana, or “To be number one” in English. Erm.. who remembers that song? The song we all know and love, and the one that accompanies the probable rose tinted glasses for that World Cup, Puccini’s Nessun Dorma performed by Pavarotti. Classic and one that gives me goosebumps.

As you may not have realised, I’ve been on my travels recently. One stop was in Singapore and the Gardens by the Bay (where the big man-made trees are by the Marina Bay Sands hotel) for the evening music and light show. Firstly, wow. If you find yourself in Singapore of an evening go there. The light show was great but the music, opera and classical music which is not usually my thing, was other worldly. A fantastic experience. Nessun Dorma was one of the songs used. And weirdly, I heard somewhere that Italia ‘90, and probably this song, was responsible for all of the various football tournament songs, and in particular the one for the Champions League (brought to you by Amstel, and Continental).

Because of the long lived impact and association, UEFA wanted a song, and decided to adopt and adapt Handel’s Zadok the Priest into the ditty we all know and love on a Wednesday evening. I’m sure Völler also loves it, given that in the years after his World Cup triumph, he added the newly created Champions League trophy to his collection when Olympique de Marseille beat Fabio Capello’s AC Milan 1-0. Let’s ignore the bribery scandals that plagued the club and saw the French outfit stripped of its 1993 league title, and their relegation the following year despite a second-place finish in 1994. Gloss applied here to skirt over that fact.

I do wonder if Völler’s alarm on his phone in the morning is either Puccini or Handel. I suppose it’d be a bit much to sneak into his house to check his phone to find out. As for a short synopsis of Völler and his career, as I’m sure that is the real reason you’ve followed the links to us here and not for our pithy anecdotes. He started with 1860 Hanau, before moving to Kickers Offenbach and then TSV 1860 (the Germans love an 1860 don’t they?) Munich. A transfer to top flight Werder Bremen came in 1982 before a move abroad in 1987 to Roma where he acquired the Flying German nickname. His final two club moves have been mentioned.

At international level, 90 caps, 47 goals, and a World Cup winner’s medal gave him not much to shout about. Also, in case you forgot, he had a ‘tache and a mullet with a Dutchman’s saliva hanging in its curls. But back to where I started, Singapore and Puccini. Iconic. If only Handel was played next and there was a bar serving Amstel…