Judging by the unlikely way he hit it off with Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, former GAA president Seán Kelly may soon be putting it up to Sepp Blatter.
The Fine Gael MEP met the German soccer great in Brussels last week to discuss matters of mutual interest. As well as being Bayern CEO, Karl-Heinz is chairman of the European Club Association, while ‘Seán South’ sits on the EU Parliament’s Education, Culture and Sport Committee.
“I was delighted to meet with Mr Rummenigge as we share the same views on the future of soccer,” said the ex-teacher, who’s more used to chewing the fat with the likes of Dessie and Dónal Óg.
Kelly, who has made a keener appreciation of sport’s importance his top political priority, wants greater protection and support from soccer’s authorities for kids who find themselves “thrown on the scrapheap.”
Other common concerns, they shared, he said, include the home-grown players rule (compelling clubs to field a quota of indigenous talent) and more stringent regulation of agents.
And there was me imagining the Kerryman confusing the two-time World Cup runner-up with his reminiscences about ‘The Bomber’, and the ex-Bayern Munich marksman wondering how he knew so much about his old mate Gerd Muller.
