The classic wooden desk in the large office in Eschweiler is his new regular spot. When Bayer Leverkusen start the new season with the cup game against Sportfreunde Lotte, Simon Rolfes will not be there for the first time since the summer of 2005.
The 33-year-old is now prepared for a new phase in his life after 288 Bundesliga appearances. He was known for his analysis, definition of goals and resolute nature during his time in the Bundesliga and with the national side. Even now tasks are defined and goals set. His new agency firm “Rolfes & Elsässer – The Career Company” caters for abundant curiosity in the sector. In an interview with DFB.de, the former Germany international, with 26 caps, speaks about his future after his playing career, the first round of the DFB Cup with Bayer Leverkusen and the general prospects for the Werkself in the new season.
DFB.de: Leverkusen face Regionalliga side Sportfreunde Lotte in the first round of the DFB Cup on Saturday. How difficult will it be without you, Mr Rolfes?
Simon Rolfes: Lotte is in Münster, so my hometown, and we are tough nuts from Westphalia (laughs). Cup games are always treacherous, but if Bayer approach it with concentration then they will have no problems.
DFB.de: Have you spoken with defender Ömer Toprak after his bad injury?
Rolfes: We’ve spoken briefly. He’s an important cornerstone of the team and has developed very well. His absence is a bad blow to the team. He is the rock in the defence, so his long absence will hurt Bayer. Even if he manages to play again this year, he will only be 100 percent fit and on top form in the second half of the season.
DFB.de: Lars Bender has taken on the captain’s armband – apart from his sporting qualities, what makes him ideal for the role?
Rolfes: He’s been at the club a long time and knows the place. Lars is definitely a respected person in the team and now he must grow into this role.
DFB.de: What goal is realistic for Bayer Leverkusen this season?
Rolfes: There will be a difficult battle for fourth place. Bayer are in a good place with their starting XI, but a couple of new signings would do them good to strengthen the back-ups. Dortmund will not have a season like last year, Wolfsburg are up there with Bayern as one of the top teams. Gladbach are stable, but we’ll have to see what Schalke do. My tip is that Gladbach, Dortmund and Leverkusen will be fighting for the places behind Bayern and Wolfsburg.
DFB.de: Away now from Bayer and onto your future: You are now pursuing a not so well known approach for the task of being an agency with your new company. How are things so far?
Rolfes: The office in Eschweiler is furnished. This summer I took my first big break after 16 years in professional football. I spent a lot of time with my family and let my professional career fade out. I’m now devoting myself to my two new activities. The company is called “Rolfes & Elsässer – The Career Company”, and so it is already clear that we want to offer more than a classic advisor. We will look after our players for longer, including after the end of their career. We don’t want to just concentrate on the glory days. Just because you’re beginning a second career doesn’t mean the advice should stop. My partner Dr Markus Elsässer is an experienced manager, and he will deal with the economic side of things. I’m responsible for the sporting side. There is a lot of potential for the development of younger players. Individual progression frequently stagnates. I’d like to tap into that.
DFB.de: How was your personal experience as a young player?
Rolfes: At Werder Bremen I was regarded as a big talent, but soon it went no further. So I intensified my fitness training and worked on technical elements of my game after training. Because of that my career picked up momentum again. It would’ve helped if I’d got the hang of things earlier. Some people recognise the situation too late, and then it’s over. Even really talented youngsters can end up at a dead-end, and then the potential is lost.
DFB.de: Do you feel that you were well advised as a player?
Rolfes: I would’ve like to have someone by my side to help me in sporting terms as a 17 or 18 year old. Many agents lack sporting expertise. A career is frequently controlled when it’s already going well.
DFB.de: You had a lot of possibilities, so why did you decide for a future career as an agent?
Rolfes: I wouldn’t label myself as that. What we offer is more comprehensive. Career manager is a more apt label. For me it was about one decision: do I embark on something else or do I do something on my own? But I had this project in the back of my head for a while – the appeal of doing something myself was simply too big.
DFB.de: Do agents have a bad reputation?
Rolfes: Generally yes. There are rogues in every sector. The reputation is mostly characterised by negative examples and so not everything is unsubstantiated. But it’s also clear that the professionalization of football is progressing further – also in this sector. This trend is inexorable. More nostalgic people, who want to return to football without agents, will be disappointed. You can’t turn back time for anyone and that would also not be sensible.
DFB.de: You say that people are often neglected after their career and that the transition is especially important. You find yourself in the middle of a transition – how’s that going?
Rolfes: It’s going well because I’d prepared this phase. It was clear to me what I wanted to do in the future. My tasks and aims are set. Naturally it’s a new beginning. You go from the physical strain to a mental strain. This football dream has long been lived with a lot of suffering. But I feel well prepared – I know where it’s going.
DFB.de: What will you particularly miss tomorrow or in five years time?
Rolfes: Playing football on the perfect pitch. There are of course great games as well, like under floodlights, at Dortmund, in the Champions League – these great moments are what I will definitely miss. I’m thankful and happy that I could experience these, but now a new era is beginning.
DFB.de: You managed your own finances as a player and made some money through shares in a bathroom fitting company. Very prudent, but is that a job? Does a young footballer not prefer to buy sports car?
Rolfes: That is the question. In principle, our approach to financial support is very individual. You can’t paint everyone with the same brush. You have to find the right solution for each individual, and that is the responsibility of the agent. Sometimes you have to make players aware that they have to make provisions for the time after their active career. Players understand that.
DFB.de: Staying on the topic of money – Ulf Baranowsky, head of the players’ union, says that 25 percent of players are bankrupt or in debt a few years after the end of their career. Is he right?
Rolfes: This isn’t about his estimation, the 25 percent came from the results of a study. There is simply a lack of awareness of suitable spending behaviour. How much capital do you need to live from the income? Only a few players give this a thought. Things can very quickly go in a downward spiral after the end of your career.
DFB.de: Do you yourself know players who experienced financial problems?
Rolfes: Absolutely. For some people they were already finding it difficult during their career. For others you could foresee the development. That’s tragic, because we Bundesliga players are actually in a situation to have a stable, financial base. In terms of income, things change drastically in the mid-thirties. By then it isn’t just the world of experience that’s over, but some people already find themselves running out of money. Many people are too optimistic over their new start in the working life. You compete with people who have already gathered 15 years of experience.
DFB.de: Footballers bring a different type of ability with them into their second career: they are battle hardened, resistant to pressure and also contacts.
Rolfes: Of course that is a sort of starting capital. But you have to care for that. How quickly do you lose the discipline that a professional footballer needs? As a business, we are absolutely convinced that there are characteristics that explain why someone became a successful sportsman. But that’s not good enough, you have to use these characteristics, develop them further and analyse how you can apply them best.
DFB.de: Jupp Heynckes claims that you have a particular strength of getting on with other players. That is an ideal quality for today’s task but also to be Völler’s successor as Leverkusen’s sporting director in five years time.
Rolfes: (laughs) I don’t know if Rudi wants to carry on longer. I still haven’t given any thought to that. No, I’m just concentrating on our new business. And Rudi will remain as Bayer’s sporting director for many years.
DFB.de: But you have already left your mark on Leverkusen after a decade and were also just named as one of four honorary club captains. So are you basically saying “no” to a possible leading position at the club in the future?
Rolfes: You never know in football. I currently don’t feel attracted to that possibility.
DFB.de: You are beginning one other new job as a TV pundit. Have you already decided to be a peacemaker or blunt pundit?
Rolfes: That depends on the situation. I will definitely speak my mind. But it is also important to give the viewers insight. I’m all for a critic who is factual and fair. My aspiration is simply to be clear. I’m looking forward to this job.
DFB.de: The most prominent new arrival to the Bundesliga is Bayern’s Arturo Vidal. Will he hit the ground running?
Rolfes: Well, that is a huge transfer for Bayern. He will help them in the Bundesliga, but also in the big games, like in Champions League semi-final, where he would bring in new qualities. Then we’ll see the true worth of Arturo.
created by mmc/clm
The classic wooden desk in the large office in Eschweiler is his new regular spot. When Bayer Leverkusen start the new season with the cup game against Sportfreunde Lotte, Simon Rolfes will not be there for the first time since the summer of 2005.
The 33-year-old is now prepared for a new phase in his life after 288 Bundesliga appearances. He was known for his analysis, definition of goals and resolute nature during his time in the Bundesliga and with the national side. Even now tasks are defined and goals set. His new agency firm “Rolfes & Elsässer – The Career Company” caters for abundant curiosity in the sector. In an interview with DFB.de, the former Germany international, with 26 caps, speaks about his future after his playing career, the first round of the DFB Cup with Bayer Leverkusen and the general prospects for the Werkself in the new season.
DFB.de: Leverkusen face Regionalliga side Sportfreunde Lotte in the first round of the DFB Cup on Saturday. How difficult will it be without you, Mr Rolfes?
Simon Rolfes: Lotte is in Münster, so my hometown, and we are tough nuts from Westphalia (laughs). Cup games are always treacherous, but if Bayer approach it with concentration then they will have no problems.
DFB.de: Have you spoken with defender Ömer Toprak after his bad injury?
Rolfes: We’ve spoken briefly. He’s an important cornerstone of the team and has developed very well. His absence is a bad blow to the team. He is the rock in the defence, so his long absence will hurt Bayer. Even if he manages to play again this year, he will only be 100 percent fit and on top form in the second half of the season.
DFB.de: Lars Bender has taken on the captain’s armband – apart from his sporting qualities, what makes him ideal for the role?
Rolfes: He’s been at the club a long time and knows the place. Lars is definitely a respected person in the team and now he must grow into this role.
DFB.de: What goal is realistic for Bayer Leverkusen this season?
Rolfes: There will be a difficult battle for fourth place. Bayer are in a good place with their starting XI, but a couple of new signings would do them good to strengthen the back-ups. Dortmund will not have a season like last year, Wolfsburg are up there with Bayern as one of the top teams. Gladbach are stable, but we’ll have to see what Schalke do. My tip is that Gladbach, Dortmund and Leverkusen will be fighting for the places behind Bayern and Wolfsburg.
DFB.de: Away now from Bayer and onto your future: You are now pursuing a not so well known approach for the task of being an agency with your new company. How are things so far?
Rolfes: The office in Eschweiler is furnished. This summer I took my first big break after 16 years in professional football. I spent a lot of time with my family and let my professional career fade out. I’m now devoting myself to my two new activities. The company is called “Rolfes & Elsässer – The Career Company”, and so it is already clear that we want to offer more than a classic advisor. We will look after our players for longer, including after the end of their career. We don’t want to just concentrate on the glory days. Just because you’re beginning a second career doesn’t mean the advice should stop. My partner Dr Markus Elsässer is an experienced manager, and he will deal with the economic side of things. I’m responsible for the sporting side. There is a lot of potential for the development of younger players. Individual progression frequently stagnates. I’d like to tap into that.
DFB.de: How was your personal experience as a young player?
Rolfes: At Werder Bremen I was regarded as a big talent, but soon it went no further. So I intensified my fitness training and worked on technical elements of my game after training. Because of that my career picked up momentum again. It would’ve helped if I’d got the hang of things earlier. Some people recognise the situation too late, and then it’s over. Even really talented youngsters can end up at a dead-end, and then the potential is lost.
DFB.de: Do you feel that you were well advised as a player?
Rolfes: I would’ve like to have someone by my side to help me in sporting terms as a 17 or 18 year old. Many agents lack sporting expertise. A career is frequently controlled when it’s already going well.
DFB.de: You had a lot of possibilities, so why did you decide for a future career as an agent?
Rolfes: I wouldn’t label myself as that. What we offer is more comprehensive. Career manager is a more apt label. For me it was about one decision: do I embark on something else or do I do something on my own? But I had this project in the back of my head for a while – the appeal of doing something myself was simply too big.
DFB.de: Do agents have a bad reputation?
Rolfes: Generally yes. There are rogues in every sector. The reputation is mostly characterised by negative examples and so not everything is unsubstantiated. But it’s also clear that the professionalization of football is progressing further – also in this sector. This trend is inexorable. More nostalgic people, who want to return to football without agents, will be disappointed. You can’t turn back time for anyone and that would also not be sensible.
DFB.de: You say that people are often neglected after their career and that the transition is especially important. You find yourself in the middle of a transition – how’s that going?
Rolfes: It’s going well because I’d prepared this phase. It was clear to me what I wanted to do in the future. My tasks and aims are set. Naturally it’s a new beginning. You go from the physical strain to a mental strain. This football dream has long been lived with a lot of suffering. But I feel well prepared – I know where it’s going.
DFB.de: What will you particularly miss tomorrow or in five years time?
Rolfes: Playing football on the perfect pitch. There are of course great games as well, like under floodlights, at Dortmund, in the Champions League – these great moments are what I will definitely miss. I’m thankful and happy that I could experience these, but now a new era is beginning.
DFB.de: You managed your own finances as a player and made some money through shares in a bathroom fitting company. Very prudent, but is that a job? Does a young footballer not prefer to buy sports car?
Rolfes: That is the question. In principle, our approach to financial support is very individual. You can’t paint everyone with the same brush. You have to find the right solution for each individual, and that is the responsibility of the agent. Sometimes you have to make players aware that they have to make provisions for the time after their active career. Players understand that.
DFB.de: Staying on the topic of money – Ulf Baranowsky, head of the players’ union, says that 25 percent of players are bankrupt or in debt a few years after the end of their career. Is he right?
Rolfes: This isn’t about his estimation, the 25 percent came from the results of a study. There is simply a lack of awareness of suitable spending behaviour. How much capital do you need to live from the income? Only a few players give this a thought. Things can very quickly go in a downward spiral after the end of your career.
DFB.de: Do you yourself know players who experienced financial problems?
Rolfes: Absolutely. For some people they were already finding it difficult during their career. For others you could foresee the development. That’s tragic, because we Bundesliga players are actually in a situation to have a stable, financial base. In terms of income, things change drastically in the mid-thirties. By then it isn’t just the world of experience that’s over, but some people already find themselves running out of money. Many people are too optimistic over their new start in the working life. You compete with people who have already gathered 15 years of experience.
DFB.de: Footballers bring a different type of ability with them into their second career: they are battle hardened, resistant to pressure and also contacts.
Rolfes: Of course that is a sort of starting capital. But you have to care for that. How quickly do you lose the discipline that a professional footballer needs? As a business, we are absolutely convinced that there are characteristics that explain why someone became a successful sportsman. But that’s not good enough, you have to use these characteristics, develop them further and analyse how you can apply them best.
DFB.de: Jupp Heynckes claims that you have a particular strength of getting on with other players. That is an ideal quality for today’s task but also to be Völler’s successor as Leverkusen’s sporting director in five years time.
Rolfes: (laughs) I don’t know if Rudi wants to carry on longer. I still haven’t given any thought to that. No, I’m just concentrating on our new business. And Rudi will remain as Bayer’s sporting director for many years.
DFB.de: But you have already left your mark on Leverkusen after a decade and were also just named as one of four honorary club captains. So are you basically saying “no” to a possible leading position at the club in the future?
Rolfes: You never know in football. I currently don’t feel attracted to that possibility.
DFB.de: You are beginning one other new job as a TV pundit. Have you already decided to be a peacemaker or blunt pundit?
Rolfes: That depends on the situation. I will definitely speak my mind. But it is also important to give the viewers insight. I’m all for a critic who is factual and fair. My aspiration is simply to be clear. I’m looking forward to this job.
DFB.de: The most prominent new arrival to the Bundesliga is Bayern’s Arturo Vidal. Will he hit the ground running?
Rolfes: Well, that is a huge transfer for Bayern. He will help them in the Bundesliga, but also in the big games, like in Champions League semi-final, where he would bring in new qualities. Then we’ll see the true worth of Arturo.
