As a footballer, Franz Beckenbauer enchanted generations of fans. He was and is a role model for countless players in German football. A year after his death, it becomes clear how great the “Emperor’s” legacy really is.
A year ago, football lost one of its greatest. Franz Beckenbauer died on January 7, 2024 at the age of 78. “The Kaiser” – world champion as a player and as a coach and, in the opinion of many, the best footballer to ever play in and for Germany – left behind a huge community of mourners that extended beyond FC Bayern Munich and Football Germany. United in grief, around 30,000 people gathered in the Allianz Arena to pay their last respects to Beckenbauer. His legacy, that much was clear on that moving day, lives on.
Beckenbauer Square and statue
Franz Beckenbauer will play a very central role at the Munich stadium. The address of the arena will be changed to “Franz-Beckenbauer-Platz 5” on the first anniversary of the football legend’s death – based on his shirt number 5.
The Kurt Landauer Foundation campaigned for a Beckenbauer statue to be erected in front of the stadium. There is already a bronze monument there to the Bayern icon and Beckenbauer teammate Gerd Müller, who died in 2021.
Huge choreo at Champions League game
The Bayern fans treated their Franz to a gigantic choreography at the end of April before the Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid. At the general meeting at the end of the year, President Herbert Hainer announced to great applause from the supporters that the number 5 at FC Bayern would no longer be awarded.
Choreography by the Bayern fans in honor of Franz Beckenbauer on April 30, 2024
Beckenbauer becomes the namesake for the German Supercup
The DFL also acted: the annual event German Supercup will be named Beckenbauer from next season carry. FC Bayern will be holding its own tournament in spring 2025 in honor of the two-time soccer world champion. At the “Beckenbauer Cup” An indoor tournament is scheduled to take place in the new SAP Garden on March 17th as part of the club’s 125th anniversary, with the traditional teams from Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, VfB Stuttgart and AC Milan taking part. The proceeds from the event will benefit the Franz Beckenbauer Foundation.
Schweinsteiger new patron of Beckenbauer’s golf tournament
The Munich native, who grew up in the working-class district of Giesing, founded his foundation after retiring from his career in 1982 and provided it with start-up capital of one million German marks. Since then, his organization has been supporting people with disabilities and people who are sick or in need through no fault of their own.
To raise money for the foundation, Beckenbauer organized a golf tournament every summer with many celebrities from sports, culture and society. Even when he was already seriously ill with a heart condition, Beckenbauer lived up to his role as patron every year. Bastian Schweinsteiger is now taking on this task, and the “KaiserCup” will now become the “Bastian Schweinsteiger Cup”.
His great international influence also became clear after his death. At the European Championship opening ceremony in Munich, widow Heidi carried the European Championship trophy into the stadium and gave a goosebumps moment with a gesture towards her late husband in heaven.
In the fall, the exceptional player was honored for his life’s work at the Ballon d’Or 2024, and Heidi also accepted this award accompanied by her son Joel.
In the video: FC Bayern no longer wants to give out Franz Beckenbauer’s shirt number
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Source: BR24 January 7, 2025 – 6:30 p.m
