Fans and companions said goodbye to Franz Beckenbauer in the Allianz Arena. Some of them have not been seen by the public for a long time.
The death of Franz Beckenbauer affected the entire Federal Republic. The shining light of German football died on January 7, 2024 at the age of 78.
On Friday, FC Bayern Munich, Beckenbauer’s long-standing club, invited people to a memorial service in Munich’s Allianz Arena. The stadium stands were well filled. But it wasn’t just fans who took a seat. Long-time companions and football greats were also there. Even those you hadn’t seen for a while.
Video | Emotional farewell to Franz Beckenbauer
Source: Glomex
Former national coach on site
The two former national coaches Joachim Löw and Hansi Flick did the honors. Löw’s public appearances have become fewer since he ended his role as coach of the DFB team in 2021.
The public currently gets to see Hansi Flick even more rarely. He was only fired as national coach last September. Since then, Flick has hardly appeared.
Otto Rehhagel also came to the funeral service. The now 85-year-old coach has long since retired from the football business. But he also showed himself again for Beckenbauer.
After the argument: Kahn back in Munich
One of the surprising sightings in the Allianz Arena was that of ex-national player Günter Netzer, from whom news is rarely heard after his many years as a TV expert on ARD.
Particularly exciting: Oliver Kahn was also spotted in the stands at the memorial service. He was fired as Bayern CEO last May. The separation did not happen easily, but rather in an argument. Kahn was even excluded from Bayern’s last away game in Cologne. In honor of Beckenbauer, the hatchet between Kahn and Bayern was apparently buried.
Surprisingly, there were also two faces from world politics: former Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer and former Interior Minister Otto Schily were guests in Munich to say goodbye to the greatest German footballer of all time. Both have little to no public presence.