2024-01-19 15:25:00
FC Bayern, German sport and politics said goodbye to Franz Beckenbauer with a touching memorial ceremony.
Uli Hoeneß had to swallow a big lump in his throat, then he turned to Franz Beckenbauer’s widow. “Dear Heidi,” the long-time patron of FC Bayern began his emotional eulogy and paused briefly. He then let celebrities from sport, society and politics, with Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the helm, share his very personal memories of the football shining light in Kaiserwetter.
“Dear Franz, to be honest, I miss you a lot,” said Hoeneß. When he spoke regarding the untimely death of Beckenbauer’s son Stephan in 2015, his voice seemed to change. It was a moving moment – also because Hoeneß, typical of the attack department, did not spare criticism at the funeral service under a white-blue sky in icy Munich.
Hoeneß spoke at times in a funny and humorous way, enriched with some of the unforgettable sayings of the “great German” Beckenbauer, as Steinmeier called him in his eulogy. But Hoeneß also mentioned the “hypocrisy” in dealing with Beckenbauer since his death on January 7th and the “unspeakable media campaign by one or two small-minded people” because of the well-bought summer fairy tale of 2006. Hoeneß also took a swipe at the AfD following he spoke regarding it had that the Germans should be “proud” once more.
“FC Bayern will always remain an empire”
Beckenbauer’s widow Heidi listened in the VIP stand with their children Joel and Francesca. At her side, alongside Steinmeier and Chancellor Olaf Scholz, she had around 20,000 fans who attended this 75-minute “ceremonial act”.
“FC Bayern will always remain an empire, forever,” said club president Herbert Hainer at the beginning: “Mia san Franz!” Star tenor Jonas Kaufmann sang “Time to say Goodbye” and the Tölzer Boys Choir sang the Beckenbauer hit “Good Friends”.
Steinmeier praised the “exceptional player” as a “stroke of luck for all of us” and a “great German”. With the 2006 World Cup, he gave Germany “a new, friendly look at ourselves”: “We won’t forget that. We all have a lot to thank him for.”
Bavaria too, as Prime Minister Markus Söder reminded us. The CSU boss raved regarding Beckenbauer as a “luminous figure, an idol, a kind of football god and a timeless icon.” In 2006 he “made himself immortal”. No shade? “A lot of things have only been speculated and assumed,” said Söder and downright canonized the emperor: “The light shines brightly beyond that.”
FC Bayern created a special setting for “its” emperor – in the stadium that, as Hoeneß emphasized, “would never have been built” without fahrer Beckenbauer. The renaming in his honor has long been discussed; a Beckenbauer Street in Munich is being planned, and further commemorative activities are being discussed.
In the arena, one word was enough: “Franz,” emblazoned in white letters on a red background on a makeshift stage in the north curve. “Player – Emperor – Human” was written above it in smaller form. Below, on the lawn, Beckenbauer’s legendary number 5 shone in red roses.
There were 28 wreaths draped in the center circle around his larger-than-life photo with a mourning ribbon. From Liverpool, Schalke or Barcelona, from “your World Cup team” in 1990, from the Federal President and the Chancellor.
At the beginning of the celebration, ten of Beckenbauer’s companions laid more roses there. Nine world champions from 1974, 1990 and 2014 such as Paul Breitner, Günter Netzer, Lothar Matthäus, Andreas Brehme and Bastian Schweinsteiger, as well as club legends Franz Roth and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. The “heirs” of the current team with Manuel Neuer, Thomas Müller and Harry Kane mourned in the stands.
The “who’s who” of German and international football personally said farewell with them, as well as celebrities from society and politics. DFB President Bernd Neuendorf with his counterparts from FIFA and UEFA, Gianni Infantino and Aleksander Ceferin. Former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, his companions Joschka Fischer and Otto Schily. The former national coaches Joachim Löw and Hansi Flick, their successor Julian Nagelsmann.
“Franz was a friend to everyone,” said Hainer regarding the “eternal free spirit,” whom Bavaria also honored in a short film: from little Franz to emperor, to “idol of the masses,” to global star and man of the world. At the end there was a standing ovation.
Franz Beckenbauer, memorial service: The voices at a glance
Frank-Walter Steinmeier (Federal President): “I don’t know whether the angels in heaven play sports. But if they do, then they will certainly have heard this new, somewhat Bavarian-sounding voice in the past few days: Go out and play football! One Voice that we all know and that we will now miss forever. The voice of the Emperor. The voice of Franz Beckenbauer. He was a role model for so many. He was a stroke of luck for all of us. So we say goodbye to a great German. And that’s why I, as Federal President, expressly say on behalf of all of us: Thank you, Franz Beckenbauer, thank you for everything.”
Nancy Faeser (Federal Minister of the Interior): “The big memorial service shows: Franz Beckenbauer will forever keep his place in the hearts of millions of football fans. His death is a great loss for German football and for our country. We mourn with his family and friends a great personality.”
Markus Söder (Prime Minister of Bavaria): “The history of FC Bayern and that of Franz Beckenbauer are inextricably linked. He was one of the very greatest Bavarians and one of the greatest Germans. It is like a sign from heaven that it is imperious weather on this day. God bless you, Franz Beckenbauer.”
Uli Hoeneß (Honorary President of Bayern Munich): “I always really liked his ability to take care of others. If you had a problem, you went to Franz. He took care of it. Franz was endlessly generous. He was always there for others, he never bucked up and kicked down, but the other way around. Dear Franz, you have been dead for twelve days now. I miss you very much. Thank you very much.”
Herbert Hainer (President Bayern Munich): “We were very lucky to be able to experience an imperial era. Franz was a friend to everyone, from his heart. That, alongside his football, made him this unique personality. I’m sure “He would have been happy that so many people came together because of him, even though he was never entirely comfortable with making too much fuss regarding him. Franz is a role model for many generations. FC Bayern will remain an empire forever. Mia san Franz.”
Franz Beckenbauer, memorial service: The information at a glance
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