Rudi Assauer

Rudolf "Rudi" Assauer (born April 30, 1944 in Altenwald) is a former German football manager and former player. Due to his habit of smoking a great number of cigars, he has been given the nickname "Stumpen-Rudi", or Cheroot Rudi.

Born in Saarland, Assauer played in 307 matches for Borussia Dortmund and Werder Bremen between 1964 and 1976. Assauer won the European Cup winners' Cup in 1966 with Dortmund. From 1976 to 1981 he was manager of Werder Bremen, before leaving to manage Schalke 04 for the first time between 1981 and 1986. This first tenure ended with his dismissal, and Assauer spent four years out of football and went into real estate. He re-entered management in 1990, and in 1993 he once again became the manager of Schalke.

Since taking over for the second time, Schalke have seen much success, including a 1997 UEFA Cup win, and victory in the German Cup in 2001 and 2002. Assauer has also overseen the development of a brand new stadium for the club. Schalke are however experiencing considerable financial problems at present. In May 2006 Assauer was suspected of betraying secret information concerning the financial problems of Schalke, and the club and Assauer have parted company.

Assauer lives with the actress Simone Thomalla, and has been described by Michael Meier, former manager of Borussia Dortmund, as a "Kashmir Hooligan".