The image alone of the two world stars is intriguing and makes your mouth water again, because it reminds you of the most beautiful World Cup that the Dutch team has ever played. Our brilliant Johan Cruijff against the graceful ‘Kaiser’ of West Germany.
Both were born just after the Second World War. Franz Beckenbauer in September 1945, Cruijff about a year and a half later in April 1947. Coming from two completely different worlds, ‘Jopie’ from Betondorp, Der Franz from stately Munich. But both football players became the most admired sportspeople in their country and, despite the final in which they were rivals, they remained lifelong friends.
Heavy period of illness
In March 2016, a shock went through the Netherlands when Cruijff died from the consequences of his incurable illness and there is now, almost eight years later, just as much sadness among the Germans because of the death of their own hero. And Beckenbauer was also preceded by a serious period of illness.
In many ways they differed from each other. Regardless of their origins, Cruijff was the attacker, Beckenbauer the defender. The German was thoughtful, Cruijff always direct. One was the poster boy for Adidas throughout his career, the other for Puma.
Beckenbauer and the Romanian tennis player Ilie Nastase were the first sportsmen in history to be signed for life by Adidas. The contract was drawn up and signed by Horst Dasler, who later asked to be buried with a Rolex watch on his wrist, which was a present from Nastase.
On the field, Beckenbauer and Cruijff both excelled in grace and were a joy to watch on the ball for millions of football fans, especially in the 1970s. The Ballon d’Or, the award for the best European footballer, went to Cruijff three times and Beckenbauer twice between 1971 and 1976. With their clubs Ajax and Bayern Munich, they both won the European Cup 1 three times in the same period. Only the World Cup did not end up with Cruijff, Beckenbauer just snatched it away.
‘Cruijff worth billions’
While Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have been battling it out for individual trophies for years, Der Kaiser has never left any misunderstanding about who was the best of the two. “Johan was the better football player,” Beckenbauer said years after his active career. And much later he wondered how much Cruijff would have been worth at this time. “If Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo are already worth a hundred million, then Johan would have cost billions in the past.”
That class, coupled with the respect he always showed for others, made Beckenbauer the most beloved German footballer in the Netherlands after the Second World War. On top of that were his achievements as a trainer. He also became world champion from the dugout, as coach of the German national team against Diego Maradona’s Argentina in 1990.
Honorary President of Bayern
Just like Cruijff, he had a lifelong love for the club that had made him great. Beckenbauer was president of Bayern Munich from 1994 to 2009. Bayern then appointed him honorary president.
Although the 1974 World Cup final in the Netherlands was an open wound for many for a long time, Beckenbauer himself also felt the pain of losing the final match at the Football World Cup for eight years. During the famous 1966 final, West Germany lost to England and in that final the then 20-year-old Beckenbauer should have been the playmaker in midfield. But fearing the whims of Bobby Charlton, he was sacrificed as the Englishman’s guard for the entire match. The Germans lost and in the years that followed everyone would realize that the greatest footballing talent, even as a libero, could and should divide the game.
Three wives and a deceased son
Privately, Beckenbauer and Cruijff took a different path. The Dutchman remained faithful to his wife Danny all his life and together they had three children. Beckenbauer had four sons and a daughter and was married three times. During the World Cup in Germany, he married his former secretary Heidi Burmester in Austria. One of his sons died in August 2015.