In 40 years since he first joined Bayern Munich, from a “blood-young 18-year-old” among football royalty to the eminent executive chairman of today, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has seen it all: the glory days of the mid-1970s, the turmoil of the 1990s, the rise and fall, the return to greatness and now a pursuit of perfection under Pep Guardiola, whom he calls a “genius”.

Over coffee in Munich, Rummenigge suggests that his club is now being run in a “close to perfect way” both on the pitch and off it. One of the most significant acts in the creation of the modern Bayern, he says, was Louis van Gaal’s appointment as coach in 2009.

“If you see our ball possession today, I would say the first steps