10 things to know about Rudi Voeller

It was by no means a glittering start to the season for Nils Liedholm’s Giallorossi side, who earned a 1-1 draw thanks to a goal from Lionello Manfredonia, nor was it a dazzling debut for Voeller, with one newspaper dubbing the forward a “foreign body”.

Following a start that was complicated by injury and the need to adapt to Italian football, that foreign body would become Roma's beating heart for five seasons.

Here are 10 things you may not know about one of Roma's most beloved centre forwards: Voeller, who earned himself the nickname “Il Tedesco Volante” (the Flying German).

1. An unusual nickname

In Germany Voeller's nickname is “Tante Kathe” (Aunt Kathy), which was given to him by his team-mate from the German national side Thomas Berthold who, like Rudi, comes from the Frankfurt area, where children would call old ladies with grey perms “Aunt Kathy”.

When Voeller's trademark hair started to grey, Berthold gave him this nickname, which enjoyed immediate uptake, especially when it caught the ear of German journalists.

2. A coach by chance

Voeller was never meant to become coach of the German national team. In 2000, the country’s football association wanted to appoint the Bayer Leverkusen coach Christoph Daum, but he still had a year left on his contract with the German club.

Instead Voeller, who at the time served as sporting director at Leverkusen, was appointed since he was familiar with Daum’s way of playing, which would enable him to start implementing this while the coach honoured his contact with Leverkusen.

As is well known, Daum would never end up taking the helm of the German national team, with Voeller remaining in the dugout and leading Germany to the 2002 World Cup final.

3. An historic record

Voeller is one of three people – along with Mario Zagallo and Franz Beckenbauer – to have reached a World Cup final both as a player (in 1986 and 1990) and as a coach.

4. That goal with Rizzitelli

During his time at Roma, Voeller made 143 appearances in the league, scoring 45 goals.

One of his most memorable strikes came ‘in synergy’ with Ruggiero Rizzitelli, in the remarkable UEFA Cup semi-final against Brondby. On 24 April 1991, Roma were drawing 1-1 at the Olimpico having drawn 0-0 in the first leg, a result that would have seen the Danish side progress.

However, with three minutes to play, Peter Schmeichel made a save to stop a powerful shot from Stefano Desideri and the ball fell to Rizzitelli and Voeller, who simultaneously motioned to apply the decisive touch. Rudi’s left foot arrived just head of his team-mate and sent the ball into the net to make the score 2-1 and take the Giallorossi into the final where they would play Inter.

5. Third highest scoring overseas player

Overall Voeller made 198 appearances for the Giallorossi, scoring 68 goals, placing him at number 13 on the list of players with most goals for Roma. Among non-Italian players, Voeller ranks third behind Edin Dzeko and Abel Balbo for goals scored for the club.

6. World champion

In 1990 Voeller lifted the World Cup into the skies above the Stadio Olimpico. He later said it was a dream come true to win the World Cup in the very stadium where he regularly donned the Giallorossi jersey.

7. The Pope

Voeller had another unforgettable experience 15 years later when, together with the other members of the organising committee for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, he attended an audience with Pope Benedict XVI, who gave his blessing to the upcoming tournament.

8. The Flying German

Voeller was inducted into the Roma Hall of Fame in 2014, despite his future in Italy looking far from promising at the start of his spell at the club.

His first season at Roma was plagued by injury and Voeller scored only three goals, to which he added only one more before the Christmas break of his second season in the Italian capital. However Voeller did not give up and his work ethic soon began to bear fruit, so much so that the Curva Sud began to sing the chant “vola, tedesco, vola!” (fly, German, fly!) in recognition of the Flying German’s efforts.

9. Amore romanista

Voeller is married to Sabrina Adducci, who is from Rome and a Roma supporter. They met in the Italian capital in 1990. As she confessed in an interview with the newspaper Bild, Sabrina has remained very attached to the city.

Last Christmas she kept a promise she made to a friend, who is a florist in Campo de' Fiori, and introduced her husband to him. The man burst into tears after meeting the Flying German.

10. A fairytale town

Voeller was born in Hanau, near Frankfurt, and the city's sports complex was named after the player at the beginning of the new millennium.

Voeller is one of the town’s most famous and respected sportspeople. Two other famous children of Hanau are the Brothers Grimm.