January 7th marks the anniversary of Franz Beckenbauer’s death. The legacy of the “Emperor” remains omnipresent.
Last year began with a shock for the football world. On January 7, 2024, Franz Beckenbauer, Germany’s greatest football legend, died at the age of 78.
Former professional and European champion Matthias Sammer, who had closely accompanied Beckenbauer for many decades, said about his late friend in an emotional interview with t-online: “I find it unworthy and I’m a bit ashamed of what we did, this whole thing country and our media did to him.”
Sammer accused: “Germany has failed him.” Sammer was referring to the allegations that were repeatedly made against Beckenbauer as head of the World Cup organizing committee in connection with the awarding of the 2006 World Cup to Germany. “I don’t know how he managed to bring the 2006 World Cup to Germany in the end. But to then attack him like that because he had to work on this system somewhere is hypocrisy,” said Sammer. His words still resonate a year later.
A lot has happened in the past few months since Beckenbauer’s death and the “Kaiser”, as Beckenbauer was always called, was posthumously bestowed with great honor. t-online gives an overview of how Beckenbauer has already been recognized and what honors are planned in the future.
Tuesday marks the first anniversary of Beckenbauer’s death. To mark this occasion, the Allianz Arena will have a very special new address. FC Bayern’s home ground will officially be at “Franz-Beckenbauer-Platz 5” from January 7th. “Our whole family is very pleased that Franz’s memory is being honored in this special way. Franz is a son of the city of Munich, he was always proud of his homeland,” said Heidi Beckenbauer. “FC Bayern is the club where he felt at home, as a player, as a decision-maker, and overall as a person. I know that this honor would have meant a lot to him. Thank you for this wonderful gesture.”
There were already emotional scenes at the club’s annual general meeting (AGM) at the beginning of December when the Bavarians announced that his legendary shirt number 5 would never be given away again and a huge jersey was pulled under the hall roof in BMW Park. It was Beckenbauer’s number – and no one else should wear it. What is otherwise only known from the USA, when jersey numbers are no longer assigned, is now also being implemented by the record champions.
“It’s something special because everyone here identifies this famous, well-known number 5 with Franz Beckenbauer. We were happy to do that and I think it’s absolutely justified for Franz. He’s done so much,” explained Bayern boss Herbert Hainer back then. The Frenchman Benjamin Pavard (to Inter Milan in the summer of 2023) will have been the last Bayern player to wear the jersey with the number 5 on the back.
The DFB and DFL also reacted. So the decision was made that the Supercup, i.e. the duel between the German champions and cup winners, would be renamed the “Franz Beckenbauer Supercup”.
By the way, on March 17th, FC Bayern will take part in a unique legends tournament in honor of Franz Beckenbauer. Bayern will be taking part in the small-field indoor tournament in Munich’s SAP Garden as part of the club’s 125th anniversary alongside the legendary teams of Real Madrid, AC Milan Glorie, Borussia Dortmund, VfB Stuttgart and another top international team that will be announced soon . Long-time Munich captain Philipp Lahm will be part of the Bayern legends as a coach for the first time.