Bundesliga
Bayern Munich held a memorial service at the club's Allianz Arena on Friday afternoon, in memory of the late Franz Beckenbauer.
Bayern invited friends from the sporting world, cultural and political figures, and fans, to celebrate the life of football legend Beckenbauer, who died on 7 January 2024, aged 78.
Beckenbauer shaped German football like no other player and, as well as winning the FIFA World Cup and European Championships with Germany, he was also a Bundesliga champion four times and a winner of three European Cups at Bayern. He lifted another Meisterschale while at Hamburg. As a coach, the Munich native was also a World Cup and Bundesliga winner.
The ceremony was designed to create an opportunity to honour 'Der Kaiser' in the environment in which he made his name and touched so many hearts - on the football pitch. Recap the memorial below.
Cardinal Karl Marx: "I have just emailed Pope Francis. Above all, he wanted me to greet the family of Franz Beckenbauer. He is united with us in prayer." The mourners in the Allianz Arena rise to their feet and remember Franz Beckenbauer.
"I once asked Franz to come with me to a meeting with Allianz about the naming rights for our new stadium. The entire Allianz board was there. At the end of the meeting, Franz said: 'Can I say something too? You shouuld all be glad that I quit when I was an apprentice here, otherwise you might not have jobs. I wanted to sink under the table because I thought it was all over now. But it took ten seconds and then everyone roared with laughter and the ice was broken."
"His masterpiece was when he won us the World Cup hosting rights. He worked so hard for years, flew everywhere to secure the votes for Germany."
"If you had a problem, you went to Franz. He always looked after everyone. He was always there for others."
"58 years ago, I saw Franz live as a player for the first time and thought to myself, if you ever get to play with him, that would be amazing. Four years later, I had signed a contract with Bayern. I didn't know how to approach him. He came up to me and said 'I'm Franz'. He was always down to earth."
Bayern's honorary president is next to bid farewell to his friend.
"We will never forget Franz Beckenbauer, we will always miss him. No one can separate good friends, good friends are never alone. Franz Beckenbauer will never be alone. God bless Franz Beckenbauer!"
"I think the way Franz Beckenbauer also looked after people is fantastic. Success on the pitch is one thing, but success as a person is particularly impressive. Thank you!"
"My feeling in 1990 was that his players didn't want to win the World Cup for themselves, but for him. To make him a World Cup winner as a player and coach."
Markus Söder is next to offer a few words of remembrance.
"All of us in Germany have a lot to thank Franz Beckenbauer for. Thank you, Franz!"
"But he was also a sweeper off the pitch. A man who often took the liberty of not being like everyone else. Franz Beckenbauer embraced life like he embraced the ball. Somehow, he always counted on everything being fine."
"He didn't even look at the ball, it obeyed him anyway. That's exactly Franz Beckenbauer in a nutshell: The elegance with which he received the ball, the ease with which he dribbled and the accuracy of his seemingly casual passes. Franz Beckenbauer was THE sweeper. Some say he invented it."
"All over the world, Franz Beckenbauer was admired, honoured, loved. We are not only bidding farewell to a world-class footballer, but also to a great human being."
German President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
"Dear Franz, I thank you immeasurably for everything. Rest in peace, you will remain in our hearts and in our game. Thank you!"
"Franz always said 'go out and play football' and that's how we carry on."
"Today the world is a guest at FC Bayern Munich, today the world is a guest of Franz Beckenbauer. Because Franz was FC Bayern."
Bayern President Herbert Hainer opens with the first speech of the afternoon.
...carry roses to the centre circle: Rainer Bonhof, Paul Breitner, Andreas Brehme, Lothar Matthäus, Günther Netzer, Wolfgang Overrath, "Bulle" Roth, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, "Katsche" Schwarzenbeck, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Berti Vogts, accompanied by star tenor Jonas Kaufmann.
Stephan Lehmann, Bayern's stadium announces, opens and thanks everyone involved.
The memorial service will begin in a few minutes. Large wreaths are currently being placed around the centre circle, around the banner with the photo that was also used on the last Bundesliga matchday: Beckenbauer with the No.5 in the Hamburg jersey.
In this 26-minute report we look back on Franz Beckenbauer's extraordinary career.
Star tenor Jonas Kaufmann will provide the musical accompaniment to the memorial service. In addition to the three songs by the Munich native and Bayern fan, it is planned that all visitors to the stadium will sing “Good Friends” together towards the end.
...many want to pay their respects to Beckenbauer: tennis idol Boris Becker, former skiers Christian Neureuther and Christa Kinshofer, as well as other representatives from culture and politics such as Edmund Stoiber, the Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann, and Charlotte Knobloch, the President of the Israeli Cultural community of Munich and Upper Bavaria.
Delegations from Barcelona and Real Madrid, among others, have confirmed their participation from abroad; Honorary President Pirri and the legendary striker Emilio Butragueño are among those representing Los Blancos . Jimmy Hartwig attends for Hamburg, Hansi Müller for VfB Stuttgart, as well as DFB President Bernd Neuendorf, Oliver Bierhoff, Hans-Joachim Watzke and Oliver Mintzlaff.
In addition to Bayern's honorary president Uli Hoeneß, the 1974 world champions include Paul Breitner, Günter Netzer, Wolfgang Overath and Rainer Bonhof in the stadium, as well as long-time Bayern players such as Franz "Bulle" Roth, Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mark van Bommel, as well as Michael Ballack, Miroslav Klose, Bixente Lizarazu, Willy Sagnol, Jean-Marie Pfaff and Bernd Dürnberger. Beckenbauer's 1990 World Cup-winning players include Lothar Matthäus, Andreas Brehme, Klaus Augenthaler, Pierre Littbarski, Guido Buchwald, Olaf Thon, Rudi Völler and Karlheinz Riedle; Among coaches, there are Otto Rehhagel, Hansi Flick, Julian Nagelsmann, Felix Magath, Erich Ribbeck, Matthias Sammer, Niko Kovač, Horst Köppel and Holger Osieck, as well as Charly Körbel, the Bundesliga's record appearance maker.
Franz Beckenbauer was remembered ahead of the game between Bayern and Hoffenheim last Friday.
Guests from all over the world will be in attendance for the farewell party. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder are among the domestic political figures.
The official part of the memorial service for Franz Beckenbauer at the Allianz Arena begins at 3pm on Friday, but visitors can enter the stadium from midday. The warm-up begins at 1.45pm with, among other things, brass bands, wreath-laying and the Tölzer Boys' Choir.
Guests included the Bayern men's and women's teams, Germany president Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Germany chancellor Olaf Scholz and Minister-President of Bavaria Markus Söder.
Among the 1974 FIFA World Cup winners in the stadium alongside Bayern's honorary president Uli Hoeneß were: Paul Breitner, Günter Netzer, Wolfgang Overath and Rainer Bonhof. Former Bayern players such as Franz "Bulle" Roth, Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Mark van Bommel, Michael Ballack, Miroslav Klose, Bixente Lizarazu, Willy Sagnol, Jean-Marie Pfaff and Bernd Dürnberger also paid their respects.
Other footballing figures tin attendance included Lothar Matthäus, Andreas Brehme, Klaus Augenthaler, Pierre Littbarski, Guido Buchwald, Olaf Thon, Rudi Völler and Karl-Heinz Riedle - players from Beckenbauer's 1990 World Cup-winning team; coaches Otto Rehhagel, Hansi Flick, Julian Nagelsmann, Felix Magath, Erich Ribbeck, Matthias Sammer, Niko Kovač, Horst Köppel and Holger Osieck; and record Bundesliga player Charly Körbel.
Watch: The Bundesliga paid tribute to Franz Beckenbauer on Matchday 17
Furthermore, delegations from Barcelona and Real Madrid, among others, were also in attendance, as were German Football Association President Bernd Neuendorf, Oliver Bierhoff, Hans-Joachim Watzke and Oliver Mintzlaff.
Well-known faces from outside of football, like tennis great Boris Becker and former skiers Christian Neureuther and Christa Kinshofer, as well as other representatives from culture and politics, also attended.