February 2025 BAYERN FAMILY
Sammy Kuffour has to take off his jacket first. It‘ s five o‘ clock in the evening in Accra, the sun is about to set, and even towards the end of the working day, it continues to blaze down on Ghana‘ s capital city. Kuffour has just got home from the office, where he works in the property business. His tie will still be in place when he says goodbye to us in two and a half hours, but now even he needs to take a breather. The television on the terrace is showing football. Of course, you might think, but if you took a closer look, you‘ d be surprised: it‘ s women‘ s football. Kuffour takes a sip of water from a“ weißbier”( wheat beer) glass which is decorated with the FC Bayern Munich logo. The discarded jacket, which he repeatedly slips back on for photos, is perfectly finished off with a flower on the lapel and a pocket handkerchief. It’ s a stylish touch in a prominent place: Kuffour used to wear the FC Bayern logo there, above his heart, which still beats for the German record champions. He’ s doing well, very well, says the 42-year-old, and he must thank God and the people in Munich. The fans” still sing my name today – it‘ s crazy there“, he says, and he actually says it in Bavarian:” da Wahnsinn“. The memories come in such quick-fire succession, it‘ s impossible to interrupt him. Whenever he visited coach Hermann Gerland at home, the cooking was done by” Frau Hermann“, as he calls the wife of the man who discovered him, and Gerland’ s three daughters took him to Austria to show him how to ski. The born-and-bred Bavarian Klaus Augenthaler taught him how to swim(” I couldn‘ t do it“) and how to drink weißbier(” He said, as a Bavarian you have to be able to do it“). Uli Hoeneß‘ secretary at the time Karin Potthoff is still called” Mama“ and the former president” Papa“. He has never met a more honest person than Hoeneß and thinks you should always stand up when talking about him,” out of respect.“ And Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was always berating him.” But if someone who was such a global star told you something, you had to listen. Kalle meant well. You have to meet people like those at FC Bayern if you want to have a great career.“
A home like a museum
Entering Kuffour‘ s house feels like being in the foyer of a luxury hotel. Wide staircases lead up and away on both sides of the expansive hallway, and there are lots of photographs on the walls: Kuffour as a player, Kuffour with Ghana‘ s greatest statesmen, a portrait of the player. On the floor, further paintings and photos, for which
no more space could be found, lean against the walls. As a child, there was no way to tell Kuffour would one day have a home like a museum. His family lived in humble circumstances in Kumasi, Ghana‘ s second-largest city. He was discovered while playing street football, and when he received his first call-up to Ghana‘ s Under-17 team, his mother flogged the TV so he could buy football boots. His three sisters complained( Sammy was the only boy), but his mother encouraged him to continue playing. Ahead of his debut against Sierra Leone, she predicted he would get a goal, and he did indeed score to secure a 1-0 win. With his first decent bonus, he bought the family a new television. A bigger one. These days Kuffour has two living rooms, and there‘ s a giant TV in each of them. He drops onto a sofa. Generally speaking, he watches all of Bayern‘ s games, even when travelling and also working as a pundit on South African TV. He freaks out when they win: When the Reds won the Champions League in 2013,” I was the craziest person in the TV studio“. He was as happy as if he‘ d played himself.” It was such a big thing to win after the“ finale dahoam” [ final at home ] in 2012, it was the same situation with us in 1999 and 2001. That‘ s FC Bayern Munich, you don‘ t give up. Mia san mia.“
Golden career: Kuffour keeps his trophies and medals in display cabinets, while photos of him on the pitch and with statesmen adorn the walls.
FC Bayern Magazine 101