It will most likely be one of the largest commemorations in the history of German sport. This Friday afternoon, greats from football, politics, culture and society will pay tribute to Frank Beckenbauer, who died on January 7th at the age of 78.
The memorial service in Munich’s Allianz Arena, FC Bayern’s stadium, begins at 3 p.m., and will be broadcast live by ARD and RTL. WELT television will be broadcasting from 2:30 p.m.
Beckenbauer was one of the most influential figures in FC Bayern and German football. The Munich team wants to offer their legend a “special, emotional setting” when he says goodbye, as the club announced. Many personalities are on the guest list: Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder. Many of Beckenbauer’s companions will also be there. Among others, Uli Hoeneß, honorary president of FC Bayern, Paul Breitner and Günter Netzer will be present from the 1974 world champions.
Uli Hoeneß, honorary president of FC Bayern, will give a speech in honor of Franz Beckenbauer
Source: dpa/Ulrich Gamel
Jonas Kaufmann, 54-year-old star tenor, will sing three songs in the arena and “give a worthy musical setting” to Beckenbauer’s farewell, as FC Bayern announced. Kaufmann, born in Munich, will sing, among other things, “Time to say Goodbye” in the Italian version “Con te partiro” at the beginning of the memorial service.
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It was an honor for him to be able to contribute, said Kaufmann. “I grew up in Munich and have been a fan of FC Bayern since I was a child. In my opinion, Franz Beckenbauer is the greatest personality of the club and of German football as a whole; he is unrivaled as an athlete and person,” said the singer.
Herbert Hainer gives a speech
There will be speeches as part of the funeral program. Herbert Hainer, President and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of FC Bayern, as well as Hoeneß, Steinmeier and Söder will speak about Beckenbauer, it is said in the run-up to the memorial service. Speeches by Chancellor Scholz and Bernd Neuendorf, President of the German Football Association (DFB), are apparently not planned.
Steinmeier is supposed to give a ten-minute eulogy, which is what Beckenbauer’s widow Heidi would have wanted, according to the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”. Because Steimeier is the highest constitutional body in the country in his office. Scholz was recently booed at public appearances, including at the German national handball team’s European Championship game against North Macedonia in Berlin. According to the report, the Chancellery emphasizes that a funeral speech by the Chancellor was not planned anyway. Scholz is also no longer a possible speaker, “because the country’s highest representative in terms of protocol is already giving a eulogy,” as the report states.
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The funeral service is scheduled to end around 4:15 p.m. Entry is free. However, for organizational reasons, admission tickets are required; these are available on the FC Bayern website. A maximum of four cards will be issued per person. The stadium has space for 75,000 guests.
Celebrities from other sports also say goodbye to Beckenbauer, such as tennis legend Boris Becker and former ski racers Christian Neureuther and Christa Kinshofer. Former Bayern stars Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Michael Ballack and Miroslav Klose are also expected. Delegations from FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, among others, have confirmed their participation from abroad. The Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann and Charlotte Knobloch, the President of the Jewish Community of Munich and Upper Bavaria, are also expected as guests.
Nagelsmann says goodbye to Beckenbauer
Many former and active trainers also take part. In addition to national coach Julian Nagelsmann, Otto Rehhagel, Hansi Flick, Felix Magath, Erich Ribbeck, Matthias Sammer, Niko Kovac, Horst Köppel and Holger Osieck want to say goodbye, as does Bundesliga record player Charly Körbel.
“Franz Beckenbauer rewrote the history of German football and had a lasting impact,” said Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, long-time CEO of FC Bayern: “He was my captain at FC Bayern, my coach at the national team, our president at Bayern and in everything These roles are not only successful, but unique. As a personality, he impressed with his great respect for all people – because everyone was equal before Franz. German football is losing the greatest personality in its history.”
Franz Beckenbauer won the German championship and the DFB Cup several times with FC Bayern
Source: dpa/Frank Mächler
Beckenbauer, “the Emperor”, captained the German national team to a World Cup triumph in 1974. In 1990 he won the title as team leader with the selection. Beckenbauer also played a significant role in the fact that the 2006 World Cup, which is remembered as a “summer fairy tale,” was awarded to Germany.
Beckenbauer’s coffin will not be visible in the stadium; he was buried last Friday in the Perlacher Forst cemetery in the southeast of Munich in the immediate family circle.
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